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steelerfan
05-06-2014, 05:56 PM
Started my Franchise on Sunday with Houston. I finally got through the first series, taking 2 of 3 from the Yankees.

NYY 4-12-1 F/14
HOU 5-8-1

NYY 3-8-0 F/11
HOU 6-8-0

NYY 6-10-0
HOU 5-7-1

In the series, Yankee batters hit .236 with 4 doubles and 6 homers. Astro hitters hit just .195 with 5 doubles, a triple and 3 long balls. The Yankees' pitching staff struck out 35 and walked 16, the Astros' staff K'd 26 and walked 7. There was one wild pitch in the series (Houston in game 3) and no passed balls.

In game 2, the Yankees took a 3-2 lead in the 11th but, after tying the game, Houston won on a walk off, pinch hit, 3-run homer by Jesus Guzman.

A-Rod hit a 2-run homer in the top of the 8th of game 3 to help New York avoid a sweep.

I still have a little slider work and testing to do but I'm having alot of fun with this game.

SmoothPancakes
05-06-2014, 06:35 PM
Started my Franchise on Sunday with Houston. I finally got through the first series, taking 2 of 3 from the Yankees.

NYY 4-12-1 F/14
HOU 5-8-1

NYY 3-8-0 F/11
HOU 6-8-0

NYY 6-10-0
HOU 5-7-1

In the series, Yankee batters hit .236 with 4 doubles and 6 homers. Astro hitters hit just .195 with 5 doubles, a triple and 3 long balls. The Yankees' pitching staff struck out 35 and walked 16, the Astros' staff K'd 26 and walked 7. There was one wild pitch in the series (Houston in game 3) and no passed balls.

In game 2, the Yankees took a 3-2 lead in the 11th but, after tying the game, Houston won on a walk off, pinch hit, 3-run homer by Jesus Guzman.

A-Rod hit a 2-run homer in the top of the 8th of game 3 to help New York avoid a sweep.

I still have a little slider work and testing to do but I'm having alot of fun with this game.

Sounds good man! When it comes to sports games, we always seem to be pretty similar in what we are looking for in gameplay. I know I used your sliders in NCAA '13, and I was always keeping track of what sliders you use in NHL and FIFA. I'm pretty much looking for almost exactly what you are when it comes to sports games and the gameplay in them, so I'm really looking forward to diving into The Show with your sliders.

steelerfan
05-06-2014, 07:45 PM
Sounds good man! When it comes to sports games, we always seem to be pretty similar in what we are looking for in gameplay. I know I used your sliders in NCAA '13, and I was always keeping track of what sliders you use in NHL and FIFA. I'm pretty much looking for almost exactly what you are when it comes to sports games and the gameplay in them, so I'm really looking forward to diving into The Show with your sliders.

Good deal. I'll get them posted at some point. Hasn't been any demand yet so I've been lazy about doing it. Plus, I'm still testing.

I just had a rough one against the Angels. Lost 8-7 but allowed 20 hits and lost Dexter Fowler to a torn MCL. He's out 6+ months so his season is done. The Angels lost RF Kole Calhoun for 2-3 weeks with a broken cheekbone (dove forward for a liner and took it on the face).

Fowler tore his knee up sliding into second on a first inning double. I manually entered all real life injuries, as of Opening Day, before I started the Franchise so I have a few other injuries too. Jesse Crain is out 3-4 weeks with shoulder cartilage damage; Asher Wojciechski is out 3-4 weeks with a herniated disc; Alex White is out 1-2 months after arthroscopic ebow surgery.

steelerfan
05-06-2014, 09:16 PM
Forgot to mention the trickle down effect that Fowler's injury had on my organization. After placing Fowler on the DL, I recalled LF LJ Hoes (great name) from AAA Oklahoma City, promoted LF Leo Harris to Oklahoma City from AA Corpus Christi and promoted LF Danry Vasquez to Corpus Christi from A Lancaster.

steelerfan
05-07-2014, 03:44 PM
Got another series done. A 4-game series at Minute Maid with the Angels. After my first 6 games followed the real Astros results EXACTLY (W-W-L-L-L-W) I broke the trend with a win in the finale with LAA to split the series and move to 4-3.

LAA 8-20-0
HOU 7-12-1

LAA 8-10-1
HOU 2-8-2

LAA 1-4-0
HOU 4-9-0

LAA 1-3-1
HOU 8-14-1

In the series, the Angels hit .262 with 5 doubles and 4 homers. Houston hit .299 with 5 doubles and 6 homers. Astros pitchers struck out 32 and walked 9. The Angels staff struck out 39 and walked 10. LAA also hit 2 batters and threw a wild pitch in the series.

For the season, Houston is hitting .252 and has an ERA of 3.73. Houston's opponents are hitting .250.

Note that I haven't touched the sliders since before Opening Day so all of these results are generated from the same slider set.

Next up is a 6-game road trip, with 3 in Toronto and 3 in Arlington.

steelerfan
05-07-2014, 11:43 PM
Well, I got swept in Toronto. :D

HOU 3-5-1
TOR 9-8-1

HOU 2-3-2
TOR 3-10-1

HOU 3-8-0
TOR 4-8-0

Houston hit a paltry .167 with 3 doubles and 2 home runs, while Toronto hit .271 with 5 doubles and 8 long balls. The Astros staff struck out 24 and walked 9, the Jays struck out 27 and walked 4. No wild pitches, no passed balls.

Toronto lost LF Melky Cabrera for 3-4 weeks to a hamstring pull in game one and they lost Closer Casey Janssen, also for 3-4 weeks, to a sprained elbow ligament in game three.

Houston (4-6) now heads to Arlington for 3 games with the division-leading Rangers (8-1). The Astros are hitting .229 on the season and have a team ERA of 4.31. Houston's pitchers have an opponent batting average of .256.

The Astros team batting average is 24th in the majors. They are 21st with 13 doubles, 12th with 11 homers, 10th with 30 BBs and dead last with 101 Ks (no surprise, they set an all-time MLB low in this category last year). Slugging % of .363 is 25th, OBP of .292 is 27th.

Houston's fielding % is .977 (27th), the team ERA of 4.31 is 18th and their 18 HRA ranks 29th. Astro pitchers have walked 25 (8th) and struck out 82 (T-3rd).

The best news in all of that is that I am not leading the majors in any statistical category and I am only last in strikeouts which, again, is not a reach with this team. :D

steelerfan
05-08-2014, 12:07 AM
A few player stats:

1B/DH Chris Carter .116, 1 HR, 2 RBI
2B Jose Altuve .128, 0, 1
3B Matt Dominguez .289, 0, 4
OF George Springer .303, 2, 6
1B Jon Singleton .200, 0, 5
C Jason Castro .172, 2, 5
OF Alex Presley .214, 1, 2
OF Robbie Grossman .130, 1, 3
OF LJ Hoes .444, 0, 1
SS Jonathan Villar .278, 0, 1
SS Marwin Gonzalez .389, 1, 5
1B Jesus Guzman .235, 2, 7
*OF Dexter Fowler .267, 0, 1
C Carlos Corporan .333, 1, 1

*out for season

Starting Pitchers
Jarred Cosart 0-0, 3.46, 2 BB, 12 K, 13.0 IP, 1 QS
Brett Oberholtzer 1-0, 2.08, 5, 6, 13.0, 2 QS
Scott Feldman 0-1, 9.90, 4, 8, 10.0
Jerome Williams 0-0, 5.40, 1, 11, 10.0, 1 QS
Paul Clemens 0-2, 10.13, 6, 11, 10.2

Relievers
Chad Qualls 0-0, 0.00, 1, 2, 1.0
Raul Valdes 0-0, 0.00, 1, 2, 4.0
Josh Fields 1-2, 6.00, 0, 5, 3.0, 2 BSV
Matt Albers 0-0, 0.00, 1, 3, 5.2
Darin Downs 0-1, 2.70, 1, 3, 6.2, 1 BSV
Brad Peacock 1-0, 2.79, 2, 8, 9.2
Mike Foltynewicz 1-0, 1.23, 1, 11, 7.1

The Astros do not have a single Save so far.

steelerfan
05-13-2014, 12:15 AM
Finally wrapped up the series in Arlington, taking 2 of 3 from the Rangers. Houston (6-7) goes 2-4 on the 6-game road trip and will have a day off before playing 3 at Minute Maid with Kansas City (7-5).

HOU 3-6-0
TEX 2-10-0

HOU 6-7-0
TEX 7-8-0

HOU 6-10-0
TEX 5-10-1

The Astros hit .228 in the series with 2 doubles, 2 triples and 6 home runs. Texas hit .277 with seven doubles, a triple and 2 long balls. Houston pitchers struck out 19 and walked 13 (also had one wild pitch). The Rangers' staff K'd 21 and walked 11.

In the first thirteen games of the season, the Astros are batting .229 with 15 doubles, 3 triples and 17 home runs. Houston's OBP is .295 and the team OPS is .680. The Astros fielding percentage is .982. The pitching staff has an ERA of 4.41, 6 Quality Starts and has allowed 20 homers. Houston's opponents are hitting .260.

steelerfan
05-13-2014, 05:58 PM
The Astros (6-10) were swept at home by Kansas City and will now hit the road for 6 games with 3 in Oakland (6-10) and 3 in Seattle (9-7).

KC 4-8-0 F/11
HOU 3-11-2

KC 11-13-0
HOU 4-10-0

KC 6-7-1
HOU 5-13-0

The Astros outhit the Royals .296 to .244 but KC hit 8 home runs while Houston did not hit a single long ball. Houston did have 6 doubles and 4 triples, however. KC recorded just 1 double in the series. The Astros' staff struck out 30 and walked 14 while Kansas City sent 31 Astros down on strikes while walking just 8.

The Astros are now hitting .242 for the season while their opponents have a collective batting average of .257. Houston has a team ERA of 4.76.

steelerfan
05-13-2014, 06:07 PM
Sixteen games in, here are how the Astros rank in the majors:

Batting Average: .242 (23rd)
Doubles: 21 (T-23rd)
Triples: 7 (1st)
Home Runs: 17 (T-13th)
Stolen Bases: 8 (T-11th)
SB %: .667 (22nd)
Bases on Balls: 49 (16th)
Strikeouts: 153 (30th)
Slugging %: .392 (17th)
On Base %: .303 (25th)
GIDP: 10 (T-14th)

Fielding %: .982 (24th)
ERA: 4.76 (26th)
Saves: 2 (T-25th)
Blown Saves: 5 (T-27th)
HR Allowed: 28 (30th)
BB Allowed: 52 (20th)
K: 131 (7th)

steelerfan
05-14-2014, 03:31 PM
In a battle between the two clubs tied at the bottom of the AL West, Houston took 2 of 3 from the A's in Oakland. Side note, Houston's LJ Hoes has hit .386 with 4 doubles, a pair of triples, a homer and 6 RBI in 44 AB (12 games) since being recalled on April 4th following the injury to Dexter Fowler. Hoes had a ten-game hit streak end in the finale of the series in Oakland, following an 0-for-4 outing.

HOU 8-14-0
OAK 6-12-2

HOU 3-7-1 F/12
OAK 4-11-0

HOU 3-7-2
OAK 2-4-0

Houston (8-11) will conclude their six-game road trip with 3 in Seattle against the Mariners (11-8).

In the Oakland series, Houston hit .246 with 4 doubles, a triple and 2 home runs. The Athletics hit .243 with 5 doubles, 2 triples and one homer. Houston pitchers struck out 21 and walked 11, while Oakland's staff struck out 26 and walked 15. Houston threw one wild pitch, Oakland threw two.

Houston is now hitting .243 and has a team ERA of 4.53 on the season. Their opponents are hitting .255 this season.

steelerfan
05-15-2014, 01:01 PM
Houston dropped 2 of 3 in Seattle to finish the 6-game road trip at 3-3.

HOU 7-11-0 F/10
SEA 4-6-0

HOU 3-6-1
SEA 9-13-2

HOU 2-8-0
SEA 3-7-0

The Astros hit .232 in the series with 6 doubles and 2 homers. Seattle hit .268 with 3 doubles, a triple and 3 home runs. Houston pitchers struck out 18 and walked 8, while Seattle's staff k'd 19, walked 6 and threw 2 wild pitches.

Houston (9-13) will return to the friendly confines of Minute Maid Park for 9 games in 11 days. First up will be a 4-game set with the Oakland Athletics (9-13). Following an off day, the Astros will close out the month of April with 2 games against the Washington Nationals. The Astros will enjoy a second off day in a 4-day stretch, on May 1st, and will then host Seattle for 3 games before a 7-game road trip takes them to Detroit and Baltimore.

Through 22 games, Houston is hitting .241 with 31 doubles, 8 triples and 21 home runs. The 'Stros have stolen eleven bases, walked 70 times and struck out 198 times.

Houston pitchers have a combined ERA of 4.65 with 4 saves and 6 blown saves. They have allowed 32 homers, have walked 71 batters and have sent 170 down on strikes. Their opponents are hitting .256.

steelerfan
05-17-2014, 03:57 PM
Jared Cosart pitched a complete game 4-hit shutout, striking out 8 and walking 3, as Houston blasted Oakland 8-0 in the finale of their 4-game series with the Athletics. Cosart (2-2, 4.38), who recorded the Astros first complete game and first shutout of 2014, was helped offensively by a 7-run 4th inning. In the 4th, Chris Carter highlighted the scoring barrage by hitting an inside the park grand slam home run onto Tal's Hill in center field.

The Astros hit .242 in the series with 8 doubles and 6 homers. Their pitchers struck out 35 A's and walked just 6. Oakland was limited to a .224 average with 3 doubles, a triple, and 2 long balls. The Athletics' staff struck out 33, walked 11 and had one wild pitch.

OAK 3-9-2
HOU 2-6-0

OAK 1-7-0
HOU 4-7-0

OAK 5-15-1 F/16
HOU 6-16-1

OAK 0-4-0
HOU 8-11-0

Houston (12-14) started their 9-game home stand with a 3-1 mark and will finish April with a 2-game series, sandwiched between 2 off days, with the NL East-leading Washington Nationals (15-11).

The Astros are hitting .244 on the season and have a team ERA of 4.17. Houston opponents are batting .251 against Astros' pitching. The Nats are batting .255 this year and have an ERA of 3.77.

steelerfan
05-18-2014, 02:21 AM
Houston (14-14) finished April strong, stretching their winning streak to 5, by taking 2 of 2 from Washington.

The Astros' bats caught fire, hitting .328 with 4 doubles and 4 homers in the series. Their pitching staff accounted for 12 strikeouts and 7 walks. Meanwhile, Washington swung the bats well too. The Nationals hit .316 with 3 doubles, a triple and 5 long balls. The Nats' staff k'd 18, walked 4 and threw one wild pitch.

WAS 8-13-1
HOU 9-11-0

WAS 5-11-1
HOU 7-11-2

The standings in the AL West, at the end of April:

Texas 18-10
Seattle 16-11
Houston 14-14
Anaheim 13-14
Oakland 11-18

A look at how Houston ranks in the big leagues in a few major statistical categories:

Batting: .250 (23)
Doubles: 44 (T-14)
Triples: 8 (2)
Home Runs: 31 (T-9)
Steals: 15 (T-8)
Steal%: .714 (17)
Walks: 85 (15)
K: 249 (30)
Slugging: .401 (14)
On Base%: .309 (23)
GIDP: 23 (27)
Fielding%: .984 (24)
ERA: 4.33 (26)
Saves: 6 (T-16)
Blown Saves: 8 (T-28)
HR Allowed: 39 (29)
BB Allowed: 84 (T-17)
K: 217 (T-5)

Player Statistics
Batting:
Altuve .204, 1 HR, 6 RBI
Carter .187, 6, 15
Dominguez .242, 3, 9
Springer .255, 6, 13
Singleton .267, 2, 17
Castro .218, 2, 11
Presley .268, 2, 11
Grossman .274, 1, 9
Gonzalez .275, 1, 12
Hoes .354, 1, 9
Guzman .283, 4, 13
Villar .262, 0, 2
Corporan .222, 2, 2

Starting Pitching
Cosart 2-2, 4.38
Oberholtzer 2-1, 3.44
Feldman 2-2, 5.50
Williams 2-0, 3.18
Clemens 0-3, 7.45

Relievers
Downs 0-1, 5.40
Foltynewicz 2-1, 4.29
Valdes 0-0, 0.00
Qualls 1-1, 5.00, 4 Saves
Peacock 1-1, 3.28
Albers 1-0, 1.80
Crain 0-0, 4.50, 2 Saves

Astros among AL Leaders:
Altuve 113 At-Bats (5)
Hoes, Presley 2 Triples (T-5)
Springer, Carter 6 Home Runs (T-9)

Williams 0 Losses (T-1)
Williams 2 HR Allowed (T-5)
Cosart 1 Shutout (T-3)
Cosart 34 Strikeouts (10)
Cosart 1 Complete Game (T-7)
Williams 6 Walks Allowed (T-4)

Astros in the hunt for awards:
Springer, Singleton: AL RotY

Astros leading All-Star Vote Getters:
Dominguez (3B) 89k (9th)
Hoes (LF) 120k (8th)
Springer (RF) 127k (8th)

The Astros are 5-1 on their current 9-game home stand. They will conclude the long stay at Minute Maid with a 3-game series with the Seattle Mariners, before hitting the road for 4 in Detroit and 3 in Baltimore.

steelerfan
06-20-2014, 05:11 PM
I'm playing Franchise Mode still and am about 50-55 games in with Houston.

JBHuskers
06-20-2014, 06:14 PM
I'm playing Franchise Mode still and am about 50-55 games in with Houston.

There is cross save to PS4 also, right?

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

steelerfan
06-20-2014, 06:28 PM
There is cross save to PS4 also, right?

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

Yep.

I saved my PS3 Franchise to the Cloud and uploaded it on PS4 without any issues at all.

JBHuskers
06-20-2014, 06:51 PM
Awesome

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

steelerfan
06-25-2014, 12:48 AM
I'm now 63 games into my Franchise with the Houston Astros. I'm still loving every second of this game!

I had a HOT streak about a month earlier than the real Astros that made my record unrealistically good, winning 13 straight in late April/early May. However, it's now June 8 and I just snapped a 9-game losing streak with a 14-inning win at Minnesota. My record now stands at 33-30. Hopefully, it continues to drop as the season progresses.

Here are some of my Team Statistics (MLB Rank in parenthesis):

Batting: .247 (26)
Doubles: 93 (22)
Triples: 15 (2)
Home Runs: 60 (16)
Base on Balls: 173 (20)
Strikeouts: 529 (30)
Slugging Percentage: .382 (22)
On-Base Percentage: .300 (27)

Fielding Percentage: .985 (21)
ERA: 3.81 (14)
Saves: 20 (T-6)
Blown Saves: 13 (T-28)
HR Allowed: 73 (30)
Base on Balls Allowed: 202 (25)
Strikeouts: 479 (7)

texacotea
06-29-2014, 08:03 AM
I'm now 63 games into my Franchise with the Houston Astros. I'm still loving every second of this game!

I had a HOT streak about a month earlier than the real Astros that made my record unrealistically good, winning 13 straight in late April/early May. However, it's now June 8 and I just snapped a 9-game losing streak with a 14-inning win at Minnesota. My record now stands at 33-30. Hopefully, it continues to drop as the season progresses.

Here are some of my Team Statistics (MLB Rank in parenthesis):

Batting: .247 (26)
Doubles: 93 (22)
Triples: 15 (2)
Home Runs: 60 (16)
Base on Balls: 173 (20)
Strikeouts: 529 (30)
Slugging Percentage: .382 (22)
On-Base Percentage: .300 (27)

Fielding Percentage: .985 (21)
ERA: 3.81 (14)
Saves: 20 (T-6)
Blown Saves: 13 (T-28)
HR Allowed: 73 (30)
Base on Balls Allowed: 202 (25)
Strikeouts: 479 (7)

What settings are you using?

steelerfan
06-29-2014, 08:43 AM
What settings are you using?

I'm using my own sliders. They are in the vault, I have multiple versions in there and you'll definitely want to use the most current set.

I use Dynamic Difficulty and Quick Counts and I allow the CPU to handle my fielding, throwing and baserunning.

steelerfan
07-02-2014, 07:10 PM
OK, I've made it to midseason. The Astros are 42-39 at the halfway mark in a season that has featured an 11-game winning streak and a 9-game losing streak. Houston is just 10-18 over the last 28 games after peaking at 32-21.

AL Standings

EAST
Toronto 48-34 --
Tampa 39-43 9.0
Baltimore 34-45 12.5
NY Yankees 34-45 12.5
Boston 34-46 13.0

CENTRAL
Kansas City 49-31 --
Cleveland 45-36 4.5
Detroit 41-38 7.5
Minnesota 36-43 12.5
Chi Sox 34-48 16.0

WEST
Texas 45-34 --
Houston 42-39 4.0
Oakland 41-38 4.0
Seattle 41-39 4.5
LA Angels 38-41 7.0

NL Standings

EAST
Atlanta 47-33 --
Washington 41-39 6.0
Miami 39-42 8.5
Philadelphia 35-45 12.0
NY Mets 34-46 13.0

CENTRAL
Milwaukee 50-32 --
St. Louis 46-36 4.0
Cincinnati 42-38 7.0
Pittsburgh 33-47 16.0
Chi Cubs 28-52 21.0

WEST
LA Dodgers 53-29 --
San Francisco 42-39 10.5
San Diego 41-39 11.0
Arizona 38-44 15.0
Colorado 36-45 16.5



Astros Team Statistics (MLB Rank in parenthesis)

Batting Average: .249 (26)
Runs: 339 (13)
Doubles: 121 (T-21)
Triples: 16 (6)
Home Runs: 79 (16)
RBI: 327 (19)
Stolen Bases: 34 (17)
Stolen Base %: .586 (29)
Base on Balls: 219 (20)
Strikeouts: 688 (30)
Slugging %: .385 (22)
On-Base %: .302 (28)
Total Bases: 1105 (16)
GIDP: 61 (29)

Assists: 827 (1)
Errors: 43 (17)
Fielding %: .986 (13)
ERA: 3.86 (18)
Complete Games: 4 (T-25)
Shutouts: 6 (T-12)
Saves: 25 (T-7)
Blown Saves: 16 (30)
Runs Allowed: 338 (18)
Earned Runs: 321 (21)
HR Allowed: 101 (30)
BB Allowed: 260 (25)
Strikeouts: 601 (13)



AL League Leaders

Batting: Cabrera DET .412

Doubles: Cabrera DET 23

Triples: Reyes TOR 11

Home Runs: Cabrera DET 32

RBI: Cabrera DET 85

Runs: Cabrera DET 59

Stolen Bases: Bourn CLE 19

Slugging %: Cabrera DET .838

OPS: Cabrera DET 1.328

Wins: Lewis TEX 12

Saves: Holland KC, Feliz TEX 27

ERA: Cobb TB 1.87

Shutouts: Salazar CLE, Masterson CLE, Iwakuma SEA 3

Strikeouts: Johnson MIN 125

Innings Pitched: Cobb TB 115.2

WHIP: Cobb TB 0.95


NL Leaders

Batting: Yelich MIA .328

Doubles: Goldschmidt ARI 25

Triples: Span WAS 8

Home Runs: Gonzalez LA 20

RBI: Gonzalez LA 66

Runs: Goldschmidt ARI 53

Stolen Bases: Cabrera SD 28

Slugging %: Votto CIN .577

OPS: Votto CIN .978

Wins: Lohse MIL 12

Saves: Rosenthal StL 26

ERA: Fernandez MIA 1.86

Shutouts: Beckett LA 4

Strikeouts: Fernandez MIA 117

Innings Pitched: Kershaw LA 124.2

WHIP: Kershaw LA 0.94


More info coming soon...

steelerfan
07-02-2014, 08:34 PM
Astros Player Reports (Sorted by AB)

Position Players

Jose Altuve
23-year-old second baseman, Jose Altuve is hitting .260 with 4 home runs and 23 RBI in 327 AB over the course of 77 games played. Altuve, a speedster, has been a bit of a disappointment on the basepaths. Despite 12 doubles and 39 runs, Jose has stolen just 11 of 18 bases to put a damper on his overall performance. His .260 average is a little deceiving as he was hitting below the Mendoza Line in the month of April but has turned his season around with a 20-game hitting streak in May. Altuve has drawn 24 walks, second to only George Springer (26), has a .310 OBP and boasts a .986 fielding percentage.

Chris Carter
The big 26-year-old has seen time at first, both corner outfield positions and as the Houston DH. Carter is hitting a paltry .233 with 102 strikeouts in 309 AB (78 games). However, Carter's power has returned this season, forcing manager Bo Porter to keep his bat in the lineup. the 250-lb righty has accounted for 17 long balls and 46 RBI for Houston. Chris has walked 23 times and has grounded into 10 double plays. He has been nearly perfect in the field, committing just 2 errors for a .996 fielding percentage.

Matt Dominguez
24-year-old Matt Dominguez has frustrated as much as any player on the Astros' big league roster. In 69 games (270 AB) he is hitting just .222 but his 9 HRs and 27 RBI have shown that he is capable of more. Without another viable option at the hot corner, Porter has had to suffer through 10 Dominguez errors (.934) - a number that adds to the call for Matt's replacement in the everyday lineup.

George Springer
Springer, 24, debuted in center field on Opening Day and has been spectacular in the field this season. A .987 fielding percentage doesn't tell the whole story for the AL's leading ROY candidate. Springer has made the impossible - routine - in the Houston outfield. Adding to his flash in the field, George is tied with Chris Carter for the team lead in home runs with 17 and is second to Carter with 36 RBIs. Despite his .232 average, Springer has stolen 8 bases and has walked 26 times. His .769 OPS tells of a bright future for the Houston star.

Jason Castro
Castro has appeared in 65 games and recorded 246 ABs. The 26-year-old Astro catcher is hitting .232 with 3 HR and 31 RBI this season. Castro, who has 12 doubles, leads the club with 6 Sac Flies and is error-free despite 32 Assists and 459 Put Outs. Despite his offensive dip from last year's numbers (.276, 18, 56), Castro is entrenched as the number one option behind the plate for Houston.

Alex Presley
In 67 games (243 AB), Alex Presley has played all 3 outfield positions. Presley, 28, is hitting .263 with 5 homers and 28 runs batted in. He's also added 11 doubles and 3 stolen bases to go with a mediocre .972 fielding percentage. At this stage, his ability to hit for a respectable average and show position flexibility in the Houston outfield are Alex;s biggest assets.

Jon Singleton
Singleton, 22, also debuted on Opening Day this season. A rising star that is viewed as the first baseman of the future in Houston, Singleton has seen just 150.2 innings in the field, featuring mostly as a DH. Jon has hit .247 with 5 homers and 25 RBI in 231 AB (68 games). Jon has 9 doubles and has not committed an error in 171 defensive chances this season.

Robbie Grossman
24-year-old outfielder Robbie Grossman has been a pleasant surprise to Porter;s arsenal this season. Grossman is hitting .293 with 2 home runs and 22 RBI. He also has 12 doubles and an OPS of .735 to go with a 1.000 fielding percentage in 108 chances. Grossman is not believed to be a long-term solution for Houston, but if he can continue to hit for average he will have to be considered.

Marwin Gonzalez
Marwin, 24, is mostly used as a shortstop against right handed pitchers but is also used to spell Altuve at 2B. Gonzalez (55 games, 182 AB) has been mildly productive at the plate (.242, 5, 28) and has been solid in the field (.987) for Houston. In 22 fewer at-bats, Gonzalez has already exceeded his production from 2013 (.221, 4, 14) but with Carlos Correa (.326, 9, 38) tearing the cover off of the ball in AAA OK City, Gonzalez doesn't appear to be more than a placeholder for Correa.

Jesus Guzman
Guzman, 29, has played first, third and both corner outfield positions for Bo Porter this season. At .267 with 8 homers and 24 RBI (180 AB in 59 games) the has proven to be a valuable platoon asset for Houston this season. His 8 doubles, .775 OPS and .991 fielding percentage have many fans calling for Guzman to replace Dominguez at third base on a day-to-day basis.

LJ Hoes
Hoes, 23, had a fantastic season temporarily derailed last month when he was sent to the 60-day DL with a separated shoulder that he injured diving for a fly ball in right field. LJ can play all 3 outfield positions as well as 2B making his versatility a big strength. In 40 games and 142 at-bats, Hoes has hit .282 with a homer and 16 RBIs to go with 9 doubles, 3 triples, a .733 OPS and a .976 fielding percentage. His return is likely 4-8 weeks away and it will be interesting to see if LJ can pick up where he left off.

Jonathan Villar
Villar, a 22-year-old shortstop, sees most of his time when Houston faces LHP. Jonathan has 137 at-bats (58 games) and is hitting .248 with no home runs and 10 RBI. The talented youngster is, in reality, just insurance for the club in the event Correa does not pan out. Villar has 8 doubles, 5 steals and a .978 fielding percentage on the year.

Carlos Corporan
Corporan, 30, serves as Jason Castro's backup as well as an emergency first baseman. Corporan has hit .237 in 80 ABs (36 games) with a pair of homers and 4 RBI. He has a stronger arm than Castro, to go with a .995 fielding %, but Carlos will never be more than a platoon player in Houston.

Domingo Santana
Santana was called up after the LJ Hoes went to the DL and has provided a glimpse of what Houston hopes will be a productive future. At just 21, Santana is hitting .318 in just 22 ABs (14 games) with a home run and 5 RBI (.984 OPS). His lone error has his fielding percentage well below standard at .923. Domingo will, undoubtedly, return to Oklahoma City when Hoes returns and will need to improve his contact (Porter has been reluctant to allow him to face any righties thus far) before he can expect a permanent place in the Houston lineup.

Dexter Fowler
Fowler, 27, had his season cut short when he slid into second base with a double in Houston's 4th game of the season. The resulting MCL tear ended Dexter's season before it really got started. Fowler had 15 ABs and hit .267 with an RBI, the fateful double, a triple and a stolen base. Fowler will be a free agent this offseason and, with a host of youngsters in the Houston organization pushing him, it is likely that he has played his last game for the Astros.





Pitchers to follow....

steelerfan
07-02-2014, 09:30 PM
Astros Player Reports (sorted by IP)

Pitchers

Jarred Cosart
Cosart, 23, is Houston's young Ace. The righty has made 17 starts (10 QS) and is 4-5 with a 3.81 ERA, 100 K and 38 BB in 106.1 innings. Jarred has allowed 16 long balls but his 1.24 WHIP shows that he has been steady all season for the Astros, his first full season at the Major League level.

Brett Oberholtzer
Another young hurler in Bo Porter's rotation, Oberholtzer, 24, has picked up where he left off in 2013 (4-5, 2.76) by posting a 5-5 record and 9 QS in 16 starts. In 97.0 innings, the left hander has struck out just 53 while walking 44. However, Brett has a 1.34 WHIP and an ERA of just 3.53 proving that the 6'1" hurler can survive in the Bigs without a reliable strikeout pitch.

Jerome Williams
At 32, Williams is a dinosaur by Houston's standards. However this "old man" has been the Astros most productive starter in 2014. In 16 starts (10 QS) Jerome is 8-4 with an impressive 3.34 ERA (9-10, 4.57 in '13). The 6'3" righty has struck out 68 while walking just 19 in 97.0 innings. Williams has surrendered 11 homers and has a WHIP of just 1.16.

Scott Feldman
Feldman, 31, is another veteran in the Houston rotation. The right-hander has had an up-and-down start to the season, with just 7 QS in 14 starts. But he has been brilliant at times, as with his CG 2-hit shutout at Washington just a week-and-a-half ago. Scott is 5-3 with a 4.52 ERA and has struck out 69 and walked 31 in 83.2 IP. Feldman has allowed 15 long balls and his WHIP stands at 1.31.

Brad Peacock
Despite 3 spot starts Peacock, 26, has settled in to a long relief spot out of the Astros 'pen. In 26 appearances (73.2 IP) Peacock is 3-4 with a 3.18 ERA and has 61 Ks and 29 BBs. Brad also has a Save and 6 Holds in 2014.

Mike Foltynewicz
The 22-year-old fireballer (100+ MPH on his running fastball) is Houston's other long reliever (he, too, has made a spot start). In 31 games (48.1 IP), Mike is 3-2 with a 3.54 ERA, 3 blown saves and 6 holds. Foltynewicz has struck out 56 while walking just 13.

Matt Albers
The 31-year-old veteran, Albers has found a spot as a middle reliever for Houston. Albers, however, has struggled this season. His 2-2 record and 5.15 ERA don't seem to fit the fact that Matt has just one blown save to go with 10 holds in 36.2 innings. Despite the bloated ERA, Albers has made 28 appearances with 29 K and 8 BB in 2014.

Alex White
White, 25, has been solid since joining the rotation about a month ago after recovering from Tommy John surgery. White has made 5 starts (4 QS) and is 2-2 with a 2.73 ERA in 33.0 innings. Alex has struck out 21 and walked 9, while allowing 5 homers and earning a WHIP of 1.24.

Raul Valdes
The 36-year-old lefty is Houston's oldest player, however the middle reliever has been strong in 2014. In 30 appearances (31.2 IP) Valdes is 2-2 with a 2.56 ERA, 8 holds and 3 blown saves. His 25 Ks and 11 BBs do not attest to his command this season - his 1 HRA does.

Chad Qualls
Qualls, 35, is 4-2 with 4 saves, 3 blown saves and 5 holds in 32 "Quall Calls" this season. The righty opened 2014 as the Astros closer but has since moved to a setup role. Chad has a 4.02 ERA with 25 strikeouts and 19 walks in 31.1 innings.

Darrin Downs
Downs, 29, is Porter's left-handed setup man and, in 31 games, he has posted a 2-1 record with a 3.62 ERA in 27.1 innings. With 22 K and 9 BB, Downs has 9 holds and a pair of blown saves this season.

Jesse Crain
Crain opened the 2014 campaign on the DL (biceps surgery) but has returned with a vengeance. In 23 games, the 32-year-old closer, has 20 Saves (2 Blown) and has k'd 20 with just 3 walks. Crain has pitched 22.0 innings and has posted a 1.23 ERA with a WHIP of 0.64 and opponents are hitting just .149 against him.

Note: RHP Josh D. Fields (1-2, 6.75) and RHP Paul Clemens (1-4, 6.95) started the season in Houston but have since been sent down to AAA Oklahoma City. In the PCL, Fields, 28, is 2-2 with a 2.56 ERA out of the pen while Clemens, 26, has made 6 starts for the RedHawks going 2-2 with a 4.31 ERA.

steelerfan
07-07-2014, 11:53 AM
Made it to the All-Star Break at 49-47. The Astros had 2 players named to the AL All-Star team:

SS Marwin Gonzalez (wtf?)
64 G, 211 AB, .232, 9 2B, 5 HR, 28 RBI, 1 SB, 17 BB, 35 K, .346 SLG, .292 OBP, .638 OPS, 3 SAC F, 189 A, 80 PO, 4 E, .985 F%, 550.2 Innings

CP Jesse Crain
29 GP, 1-1, 1.61, 25 SV, 3 BSV, 28.0 IP, 2 HRA, 5 BBA, 25 K, 0.79 WHIP

I think I'm going to play the All-Star Game and just Player Lock on my guys if they get in the game. Hopefully, the CPU manager doesn't pitch their starter 7 innings (typically the problem in video game All-Star games).

steelerfan
07-07-2014, 12:27 PM
That was easy, lol.

I Player Locked Marwin Gonzalez and he never entered the game so the CPU just simmed through (pitching the starters just 2 innings while no one else got more than 1, I might add).

Jesse Crain did pitch (simmed) 0.2 inning. He allowed 2 hits, and a run (earned) while striking out 2 and walking 1.

The AL won, 9-6. Toronto's Jose Reyes was MVP going 1-5 with a 3-run homer that broke a 6-6 tie in the bottom of the 8th.

JBHuskers
07-07-2014, 12:29 PM
Were the innings accurate?

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

steelerfan
07-07-2014, 12:30 PM
Were the innings accurate?

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

What do you mean?

steelerfan
07-07-2014, 12:37 PM
Does this answer your question?

778

779

JBHuskers
07-07-2014, 01:15 PM
Does this answer your question?

778

779

Yes, and they were accurate. You were worried that the starter would go 8 innings, but this is good.

steelerfan
07-07-2014, 03:26 PM
Yes, and they were accurate. You were worried that the starter would go 8 innings, but this is good.

Yes, it is. I had already mentioned that though. :)

steelerfan
07-12-2014, 09:55 PM
Just finished up the first series after the All-Star Break, losing 2 of 3 in Chicago to the White Sox. Houston is now 50-49 on the season and the AL West looks like this:

Rangers 57-42 --
Mariners 52-47 5.0
Athletics 51-47 5.5
Angels 50-49 7.0
Astros 50-49 7.0

jaymo76
07-12-2014, 11:00 PM
What is happening in the AL East??? Those records are awful! The Jays still in first?

steelerfan
07-13-2014, 01:46 AM
What is happening in the AL East??? Those records are awful! The Jays still in first?

The Jays are still in command in the East. There is some bad baseball being played in that division. Toronto is 25-12 in division games and 31-33 against the rest of the league. They are cleaning up against the rest of the East.

Toronto 56-45 --
Tampa 48-53 8.0
NY Yankees 46-54 9.5
Boston 44-56 11.5
Baltimore 41-59 14.5

steelerfan
07-13-2014, 11:47 AM
Houston took 2 of 3 in Oakland, pushing their record to 52-50. The series featured 18 doubles (11 from Houston). Chris Carter hit his 22nd home run and drove in RBI number 60, for the Astros.

The AL West:

Rangers 58-44 --
Mariners 54-48 4.0
Athletics 52-49 5.5
Angels 52-50 6.0
Astros 52-50 6.0

jaymo76
07-13-2014, 12:11 PM
I watched that 5-4 loss last night. Your batters went silent in those last few innings and your bullpen let you down. It just seemed like Oakland was destined to win that game.

steelerfan
07-13-2014, 12:33 PM
Yeah, and I almost blew a 5-0 lead the next game.

steelerfan
07-13-2014, 12:36 PM
Getting horsefucked by the Marlins right now. 10-0 in the 5th.

jaymo76
07-13-2014, 01:14 PM
Getting horsefucked by the Marlins right now. 10-0 in the 5th.

I turned away at 11-0. Wow! That was a beating of epic proportions. I don't think I should watch you play anymore... bad luck...

steelerfan
07-13-2014, 01:40 PM
I turned away at 11-0. Wow! That was a beating of epic proportions. I don't think I should watch you play anymore... bad luck...

Lol.

It ended up 14-3.

Part of my issue right now is that Dynamic Difficulty ran my Pitching Difficulty up to Legend while I was playing RTTS. Its down to HOF+ now so it should start to level out.

I'm now 52-51. Honestly, I don't want a winning record. It wouldn't be realistic, if I did. Of course, I won't try to lose, but I don't mind when I do.

jaymo76
07-13-2014, 01:43 PM
Any series left versus Toronto? If you do make sure to stream those to twitch as I will check them out.

steelerfan
07-13-2014, 01:49 PM
Any series left versus Toronto? If you do make sure to stream those to twitch as I will check them out.

Yes. The game with Miami was my first of a ten game homestand. The last 4 are against Toronto. That will be the last I see of Toronto this season.

jaymo76
07-13-2014, 03:33 PM
Yes. The game with Miami was my first of a ten game homestand. The last 4 are against Toronto. That will be the last I see of Toronto this season.

Sounds good!

steelerfan
07-14-2014, 03:54 AM
The Astros (52-53) dipped below .500 for the first time since April 29 after being swept at home by the Miami Marlins. Houston lost 14-3, 7-2 and 5-3 (10 innings) to Miami.

The Astros, who are just 24-28 at Minute Maid Park, will continue their 10-game homestand on Monday as they begin a 3-game series with the Oakland Athletics (55-49). Houston has taken 7 of 10 from the A's this season.

Jared Cosart (6-5, 4.04) will face Jesse Chavez (6-8, 3.91) on Monday night. Tuesday night's matchup will feature Brett Oberholtzer (7-7, 3.97) against Sonny Gray (7-8, 3.15). The series will conclude with Wednesday's Businessperson's Special, a 1:10 PM first pitch, with Scott Feldman (7-5, 4.37) slated to face AJ Griffin (5-5, 3.47).

JBHuskers
07-14-2014, 10:27 AM
Gonna be tough for your bats with those pitchers.

jaymo76
07-14-2014, 12:40 PM
The Astros (52-53) dipped below .500 for the first time since April 29 after being swept at home by the Miami Marlins. Houston lost 14-3, 7-2 and 5-3 (10 innings) to Miami.

The Astros, who are just 24-28 at Minute Maid Park, will continue their 10-game homestand on Monday as they begin a 3-game series with the Oakland Athletics (55-49). Houston has taken 7 of 10 from the A's this season.

Jared Cosart (6-5, 4.04) will face Jesse Chavez (6-8, 3.91) on Monday night. Tuesday night's matchup will feature Brett Oberholtzer (7-7, 3.97) against Sonny Gray (7-8, 3.15). The series will conclude with Wednesday's Businessperson's Special, a 1:10 PM first pitch, with Scott Feldman (7-5, 4.37) slated to face AJ Griffin (5-5, 3.47).

Yeah that was a brutal series for you versus Miami. It didn't seem like anything went right. You games versus the A's have been pretty exciting. Good luck!

steelerfan
07-14-2014, 10:43 PM
Good news and bad news came from Houston's series-opener with Oakland on Monday night at Minute Maid Park. The Astros got back to .500 at 53-53 with a 4-3 win that featured 5 Houston doubles and a fantastic outing for Jared Cosart (7-5, 3.91).

Cosart got the win, scattering 7 hits over 6.2 innings, striking out 4, walking 2 and allowing just 1 run. Closer Jesse Crain earned his 28th Save in 31 opportunities, surrendering a lone walk in the ninth.

Unfortunately, the Astros lost their leadoff man when second baseman Jose Altuve dislocated his throwing shoulder after making a diving stop in the 4th inning.

Manager Bo Porter said that Altuve will be placed on the 15-day DL but Porter also said that the injury could sideline the second baseman for the rest of the season. "4 to 8 weeks", are what Porter said would be a realistic timeline for Jose's return.

The injury has brought about a move that many Astros' fans have been clamoring for - the promotion of shortstop Carlos Correa. Correa, 19, was drafted first overall by Houston in 2012 and has quickly risen through the system to lead Houston's AAA-affiliate, Oklahoma City, in most offensive categories this season. What's more, Correa is more heavily lauded for his play in the field and is already considered by most in the organization to be the club's best option at short.

Porter went on to say that the injury will cause Marwin Gonzalez to become the "everyday" option at second while Correa and Jonathan Villar share time at short.

jaymo76
07-14-2014, 11:46 PM
How many games are you back now Steeler? What about the hunt for the WildCard?

steelerfan
07-15-2014, 12:28 AM
How many games are you back now Steeler? What about the hunt for the WildCard?

As you saw I just got crushed by Oakland, 13-1. Hopefully, DD realizes soon that I don't have the pitching staff to stay on HOF difficulty.

I knew I was screwed in that second game against the A's if Oberholtzer wasn't sharp. My bullpen is EXHAUSTED. I need one of my starters to give me 7-8 innings to level things out because I have 5 more days before a day off.

Anyway, at 53-54, I'm 7.0 games behind the Rangers and 5th in the West. I'm just 3.5 games out of the Wildcard race. But, again, I really don't want to make the playoffs, lol. It would signal a slider issue or a DD issue to me.

Houston still sucks and I should struggle. :)

Going to play the rubber match with Oakland shortly and I will broadcast it, in case you want to have a look.

For the rest of you, I plan to broadcast the rest of my games this season so if you'd like to be alerted, subscribe (steelerfan1933 on Twitch). It may be a good time killer if you work in front of a computer because I play alot during the day. :)

For the record, Carlos Correa walked in his first MLB PA but followed that with 3 Ks. He was good in the field though, with 4 assists and a putout. He showed really nice range getting to a grounder up the middle against the first batter in the 8th. Threw him out too. :)

steelerfan
07-15-2014, 02:42 AM
Houston (54-54) earned their grittiest win of the 2014 season on Wednesday afternoon at Minute Maid Park.

Needing nothing more than a long outing from starter Scott Feldman (7-5, 4.51), disaster struck early. Feldman suffered an abdominal strain after lasting just 1/3 of an inning. The injury forced Houston's heavily-fatigued bullpen to take over early on, something they did not need.

Houston surrendered 4 runs in the first and the overwhelming sentiment was among the home fans was, "here we go again". However, Manager Bo Porter used 7 pitchers to get the job done and the offense chipped away at the deficit (through 9 hits and 10 walks).

Eventually, a 2-run Alex Presley homer to left put Houston in front in the 6th inning and the bullpen finished the job, with the Astros winning 6-4 to take 2 of 3 from Oakland.

Raul Valdes (3-4, 3.07) earned the win pitching a perfect 1.1 innings with one strikeout and Jesse Crain (1-1, 1.44) hurled a 1-2-3 ninth to notch his 29th Save.

The biggest performance on the mound, however, was turned in by lefty Darin Downs (2-1, 4.36). Downs came into a tenuous situation in the 8th. After Chad Qualls (4-3, 4.24) allowed a single and a walk to open the inning, Downs held Houston's shaky 5-4 lead by striking out the next 3 batters to retire the A's.

Houston will host the AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays (61-48) in the first 4 on Thursday night. Alex White (2-4, 2.90) will face Brandon Morrow (7-8, 4.22) to kickoff the weekend series and close the month of July.

Probable Starters for the rest of the series:

Friday: Jerome Williams (10-5, 3.37) vs Cole Hamels (5-9, 4.69)

Saturday: Jarred Cosart (7-5, 3.91) vs Shelby Miller (5-10, 5.07)

Sunday: Brett Oberholtzer (7-8, 4.36) vs Marcus Stroman (8-5, 3.22)

steelerfan
07-15-2014, 03:31 AM
Jaymo, I plan to start the series with Toronto tomorrow. Keep your eyes peeled for a better idea of what time.

steelerfan
07-15-2014, 11:13 AM
Looking to get started with the Blue Jays in the next twenty minutes or so. I'll be playing this series on and off throughout the day and, of course, will be broadcasting.

jaymo76
07-15-2014, 01:13 PM
Some a bit of your last game broadcast versus the Jays. Looks like your team has improved a lot since the A's series.

steelerfan
07-15-2014, 01:36 PM
Some a bit of your last game broadcast versus the Jays. Looks like your team has improved a lot since the A's series.

I just got a couple of timely hits from Matt Dominguez early on. He got a double and a single in his first 2 at bats; each one with 2 outs. Each of those hits drive in 2 runs.

I also got 7 strong innings out of Alex White, something that was desperately needed. Looking at Toronto's stats, they have had subpar pitching this season. They've won with offense. If I can get decent pitching against them, I have a shot.

On another subject, I managed a trade at the deadline. It's a deal that gets me a true utility infielder and will give me the option of adding another reliever to my bullpen (basically, I have one player that can fill the role of 2 now). I'll post the details later, before my next game.

steelerfan
07-15-2014, 03:36 PM
Following Houston's 6-3 series-opening win over Toronto on Thursday night at Minute Maid Park, the Astros announced that they had completed a deadline day trade with Miami.

Houston acquired SS Adeiny Hechavarria and outfield prospect Austin Dean from the Marlins in exchange for SS Jonathan Villar and Single-A reliever Jorge DeLeon.

Villar (72 OVR, B), 22, hit .284 with 18 RBI in 194 ABs for the Astros this season and is a .243 career hitter in 2 seasons with the club. Villar was viewed as excess to the Astros as he can only play SS. In 79 games this season, he scored 22 runs with 13 doubles, 2 triples, 8 steals and a .971 F%.

DeLeon (51, D), 26, is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in a limited Major League career and had toiled in Lancaster, Houston's Single-A affiliate, this season. He will join the bullpen in AA Jacksonville for the Marlins.

Dean (61, B), 20, will move from AA Jacksonville to a starting role in AAA Oklahoma City's outfield.

Hechavarria (72, C), 24, plays SS, 2B and 3B and will provide depth at all 3 positions for the Astros. In 94 games with Miami, Adeiny hit .222 in 306 AB with 5 HR, 30 RBI, 30 runs, 18 doubles and a triple. He has 4 steals and a .976 F%.

jaymo76
07-15-2014, 04:45 PM
Depth move or do you think this will help for a playoff run?

steelerfan
07-15-2014, 05:08 PM
Depth move or do you think this will help for a playoff run?

I'm not looking toward the playoffs this year.

Villar is a decent, young shortstop with some upside (72, B). However, he ONLY plays short. He doesn't fit into the long term plans since I have Carlos Correa (76, A) who is just 19 and also only plays shortstop.

That said, I didn't have a true utility infielder. Villar (SS), Marwin Gonzalez (SS, 2B) and Correa (SS) - none of them plays 3rd. That forces me to keep a third 1B, Jesus Guzman, simply because he can spell Matt Dominguez at third base.

Bottom line, this move gives me more roster flexibility. I can send Guzman to AAA and use his spot on a specialist (ie lefty, base stealer, extra reliever etc.).

Additionally, giving up Villar for Hechavarria = advantage Marlins. However, I offset that by getting a decent prospect for garbage on the other half of the deal.

steelerfan
07-15-2014, 05:19 PM
I'll be broadcasting another game (second of 4 with the Jays) in about 15-30 minutes.

steelerfan
07-15-2014, 07:27 PM
Prior to Friday night's game with Toronto, the Astros announced several roster moves in the wake of their trade Thursday evening.

LF Mark Krauss was sent from AAA Oklahoma City to AA Corpus Christi and RP Jordan Jankowski was sent from Corpus Christi to Class-A Lancaster.

Houston also recalled SP Mark Appel from Oklahoma City and placed RP Matt Albers on Optional Assignment Waivers.

Should Albers clear waivers, the 31-year-old reliever will join the AAA RedHawks bullpen after making 41 appearances for the Astros in 2014. Matt went 3-5 with a 5.71 ERA, 15 Holds and 2 Blown Saves in 48.2 innings of work. The veteran of more than 7 Major League seasons struck out 32, walked 12 and posted a 1.42 WHIP with Houston this season.

Appel, 22, was selected first overall by the Astros in the 2013 draft. He was previously selected by the Tigers in the 15th round (2009) and by the Pirates 8th overall in 2012, however he did not sign because of his commitment to Stanford. Mark is a native of Houston and he went 8-7 with a 2.77 ERA in 21 starts (13 QS) this season for AAA Oklahoma City. The 6'5", 225-lb. righty had 3 complete game shutouts among his 136.2 innings and struck out 120 with just 31 walks and a WHIP of 1.05.

jaymo76
07-15-2014, 10:44 PM
I was just thinking to myself... YOU PLAY AS THE Houston Dynamo in FIFA, the Houston (Aeros?) in the AHL and the Houston Astros in MLB... is there a theme here? :D You are definitely a "hometown" fan. If I do get The Show this year or next, I am torn between doing a RTTS with either Toronto, Oakland, or Kansas City.

steelerfan
07-15-2014, 11:24 PM
I've never been accused of being a hometown fan in my life, honestly!

Unfortunately, the Aeros moved to Iowa after the 12-13 season. :down:

The Dynamo, eh, I follow them casually.

I have been an Astros fan since I was very young but, generally as an adult, I've been a casual baseball fan.

I think I'm most surprised that you remember the Aeros thing, lol.

I have a buddy who has a Franchise going with the Royals and is having fun with it. If I wasn't using Houston, I'd consider Minnesota. They have some great pitching prospects.

steelerfan
07-16-2014, 12:08 AM
With wins on Friday and Saturday night over the AL East leading Blue Jays, Houston has won 4 straight to improve to 5-4 on the current 10-game home stand. Houston (57-54) will wrap up the series, and the home stand, on Sunday afternoon at Minute Maid.

On Saturday, the Astros activated LJ Hoes from the 60-day DL and immediately Optioned him to AAA Oklahoma City.

jaymo76
07-16-2014, 01:17 AM
Are you playing again tonight or tomorrow?

steelerfan
07-16-2014, 02:22 AM
Are you playing again tonight or tomorrow?

I'm going to play again tonight.

steelerfan
07-16-2014, 04:08 AM
A bit of housekeeping to do before I get into the results from the Toronto series. There have been several transactions in the last couple of days.

Since Hoes was activated and optioned to AAA OKC:

RP Matt Albers sent outright to AAA OKC.
(AA Corpus Christi) Activated SP Bobby Doran from the DL.
(AAA OKC) Activated SP Asher Wojciechski from the DL.
Placed RP Josh Zeid on outright assignment waivers.
Sent RP Pat Urckfitz from AA CC to A Lancaster.
Sent RP Kevin Chapman from AA CC to A Lancaster.
Sent RP Chia-Jen Lo from AA CC to A Lancaster.
Sent RP Aaron West from AA CC to A Lancaster.
Sent SP Jake Buchanan from AAA OKC to AA CC.
Sent 2B Enrique Hernandez from AAA OKC to AA CC.

steelerfan
07-16-2014, 04:23 AM
The red hot Houston Astros pushed their winning streak to 5 in a row and 6 of 7 on Sunday, completing a 4-game sweep of the AL East leading Toronto Blue Jays at Minute Maid Park.

Starting pitching was the difference against the Jays. In the opener, Alex White went 7 innings, allowing just 2 runs; in game two, Jerome Williams surrendered one run in 6 innings; game three had Jarred Cosart giving up 3 runs in 8.2 innings; in the finale, Brett Oberholtzer allowed 1 run in 7.2 innings.

The Astros will have Monday off before playing 3 in Philadelphia (46-66). The probable starters:

Scott Feldman (7-5, 4.51) vs Roberto Hernandez (7-7, 3.65)
Alex White (3-4, 2.87) vs Ethan Martin (0-1, 7.20)
Jerome Williams (10-5, 3.28) vs Jeff Manship (1-1, 2.11).

A look at the current AL West standings:

Rangers 62-50 --
Mariners 60-51 1.5
Astros 58-54 4.0
Athletics 57-54 4.5
Angels 57-55 5.0

AL Wildcard:

Mariners 60-51 --
Indians 59-54 --
Astros 58-54 0.5

steelerfan
07-16-2014, 04:30 AM
With 50 games remaining this season, some team statistics (MLB Rank in parenthesis):

Batting Average: .250 (19)
Runs: 450 (T16)
Doubles: 182 (T10)
Triples: 22 (T2)
Home Runs: 103 (T19)
Base on Balls: 292 (25)
Strikeouts: 945 (29)

Fielding %: .986 (16)

ERA: 3.99 (21)
Home Runs Allowed: 130 (30)
Base on Balls Allowed: 371 (27)
Strikeouts: 791 (20)

JBHuskers
07-16-2014, 09:10 AM
Who's got the most triples? Altuve?

steelerfan
07-16-2014, 12:10 PM
Who's got the most triples? Altuve?

I think Altuve has 3 or 4. Alex Presley has 5, leading the team. I'll post the list when I hop on shortly.

jaymo76
07-16-2014, 03:00 PM
That 2-1 victory over the Jays was a great defensive battle. I thought Bautista would have feasted on your pitchers but that was not the case. Are the Jays out of first place now?

Now the million dollar question, do you have upcoming series with the Rangers and Mariners??? That will be must watch twitch tv!

steelerfan
07-16-2014, 07:00 PM
That 2-1 victory over the Jays was a great defensive battle. I thought Bautista would have feasted on your pitchers but that was not the case. Are the Jays out of first place now?

Now the million dollar question, do you have upcoming series with the Rangers and Mariners??? That will be must watch twitch tv!

I'm playing the Phillies next, then the Rangers. I have several series left with both Texas and Seattle (as well as Oakland and LAA).

The Jays still have, I believe, an 8 game lead. That whole division has been slumping. In fact, looking at the standings the other day, the only reason the Jays have such a good record is because they are FEASTING on the other AL East teams. Toronto is below .500 against the rest of the Majors.

jaymo76
07-16-2014, 09:46 PM
Playing tonight Matt or is it a "day off?" By the way do you play any RTTS? If so, ever broadcast it? I know JB is pretty into it but haven't seen any broadcasts in awhile.

steelerfan
07-16-2014, 10:16 PM
Playing tonight Matt or is it a "day off?" By the way do you play any RTTS? If so, ever broadcast it? I know JB is pretty into it but haven't seen any broadcasts in awhile.

I may get a game in here in a bit. Watching some TV with the kiddo right now.

I think I'm going to finish my season in Franchise before I get back into RTTS. I played a bunch recently but it jacked up my pitching skill level via Dynamic Difficulty. When I went back to Franchise, I was on "Legend" pitching difficulty.

steelerfan
07-16-2014, 11:12 PM
Getting on to play now.

steelerfan
07-16-2014, 11:15 PM
JB, here are my leaders in triples:

Presley 5
Springer 4
Singleton 2
Altuve 2
9 players with 1

Just fyi.

jaymo76
07-17-2014, 01:37 AM
That 7-6 victory was great to watch. I thought your pitchers were going to let you down in the end. Highly stressful victory hey buddy.

steelerfan
07-17-2014, 01:53 AM
That 7-6 victory was great to watch. I thought your pitchers were going to let you down in the end. Highly stressful victory hey buddy.

Yeah. 7-2 I thought it was on cruise control. Even when it was cut to 7-5 I wasn't concerned. But then Crain gives up a long ball in the ninth and I still had to face Howard. Yeah, that was a bit stressful.

steelerfan
07-17-2014, 11:47 PM
Going to stream game 2 of my series in Philly in just a few minutes.

steelerfan
07-18-2014, 04:25 AM
Following Astro wins of 7-6 and 9-5, a 2-out, 2-run, walk off single ended Houston's 7-game winning streak as the Phillies avoided a sweep by the visitors on Thursday.

Houston (60-55) will return to the friendly confines of Minute Maid Park on Friday to begin a 6-game home stand as the Texas Rangers (64-50) and Minnesota Twins will each play 3 in Houston, before the Astros hit the road again for ten games.

Obviously, the upcoming series with Texas looms large. The AL West standings going into games on August 8:

Rangers 64-50 --
Mariners 62-52 2.0
Angels 60-55 4.5
Astros 60-55 4.5
Athletics 58-56 6.0

AL Wildcard standings:

Mariners 62-52 --
Indians 61-55 --
Angels 60-55 0.5
Astros 60-55 0.5
Tigers 59-55 1.0
Athletics 58-56 2.0

steelerfan
07-18-2014, 04:31 AM
Probable starters for the upcoming series between the Houston Astros (60-55) and the Texas Rangers (64-50) August 8-10, 2014 at Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas:

Jarred Cosart (8-5, 3.86) vs Robbie Ross (9-7, 3.14) 7:10 PM

Brett Oberholtzer (8-8, 4.18) vs Yu Darvish (11-5, 2.81) 6:10 PM

Scott Feldman (8-5, 4.55) vs Tanner Scheppers (8-8, 4.15) 1:10 PM

steelerfan
07-18-2014, 04:56 AM
Down on the Farm:

Class-AA SP David Martinez is 11-4 with a 3.41 ERA for the Corpus Christi Hooks this season. Martinez, 26, has 12 Quality Starts among his 21 Starts on the year.

24-year-old reliever Jose Cisnero has made 62 appearances for the AA Hooks as a setup man. Cisnero is 8-1 with a 2.49 ERA and 2 Saves in 83.0 Innings.

Reliever Kevin Chapman, 26, has served as the AA Corpus Christi closer this season, making 34 appearances for the Hooks. Chapman is 0-1 with a 2.45 ERA and 26 Saves.

25-year-old Asher Wojciechski has returned to the rotation in AAA Oklahoma City after missing time with a shoulder injury. Asher has made 17 starts for the RedHawks going 9-4 with a 2.15 ERA this season.

Paul Clemens, 26, has recovered from a sluggish start to 2014 that saw him sent down to AAA OKC after going 1-4 with a 6.95 ERA in Houston. Clemens is 6-3 with a 2.69 ERA in 13 outings for the 'Hawks.

Reliever Anthony Bass, 26, has made 47 appearances for AAA Oklahoma City going 6-6 out of the 'pen with an ERA of 2.06.

Josh D. Fields (1-2, 6.75 in Houston in '14) has served as a setup man in Oklahoma City since being sent down. Fields, 28, has appeared in 40 games for the RedHawks going 3-2 with a Save and an ERA of 1.94.

Tony Sipp, 30, has been brilliant this season serving as the closer for AAA OKC. In 36 appearances, Sipp is 0-1 with 33 Saves and a 0.83 ERA.

jaymo76
07-18-2014, 09:39 AM
That Rangers series should be very exciting. This could be your whole season right here. A sweep would change everything in the division. Let us know if/when you are streaming.

steelerfan
07-18-2014, 12:31 PM
That Rangers series should be very exciting. This could be your whole season right here. A sweep would change everything in the division. Let us know if/when you are streaming.

I'm going to stream every game from here forward, to close out the season. That said, I will play game 1 against Texas at 3:00 PM Central today.

jaymo76
07-18-2014, 01:09 PM
I'm going to stream every game from here forward, to close out the season. That said, I will play game 1 against Texas at 3:00 PM Central today.

I'll try to check it out. I'm watching the kids today as the wife is at work... so it depends if they let me. :dunno:

steelerfan
07-19-2014, 12:04 AM
Texas absolutely destroyed Houston pitching in game one of the three-game weekend set between the AL West rivals. Rangers catcher JP Arencibia hit for the cycle, going 4-5 with 6 RBI in the 12-4 demolition.

Going on the air with game 2 now.

jaymo76
07-19-2014, 01:23 AM
In franchise mode can you also play the schedule of your minor leagues like you can in NHL? I suspect not but it would be cool if you could.

steelerfan
07-19-2014, 01:56 AM
In franchise mode can you also play the schedule of your minor leagues like you can in NHL? I suspect not but it would be cool if you could.

Yes, you can.

EDIT: You can also play any game on any league's schedule.

steelerfan
07-19-2014, 03:44 AM
In the bottom of the 10th, rookie Domingo Santana hit the last of Houston's 3 2-run homers in Sunday's finale with Texas at Minute Maid Park. The walk off long ball completed a comeback from a 4-0 deficit to give the Astros a 6-4 win that helped them avoid a sweep at the hands of the AL West leaders, after losing the first two games 12-4 and 11-6.

AL West Standings before August 11 games:

Rangers 66-51 --
Mariners 64-53 2.0
Angels 62-56 4.5
Astros 61-57 5.5
Athletics 60-57 6.0

AL Wildcard Standings:

Mariners 64-53 --
Indians 64-55 --
Angels 62-56 1.5
Astros 61-57 2.5
Athletics 60-57 3.0
Tigers 60-57 3.0

Next, Houston will host Minnesota (53-64) at Minute Maid Park. The 3-game series will begin on Monday night. Following the series with the Twins, the Astros will hit the road for ten games with 4 in Boston, 3 in New York against the Yankees and 3 in Cleveland.

steelerfan
07-19-2014, 03:50 AM
Houston Astros (61-57) vs Minnesota Twins (53-64)
August 11-13, 2014
Minute Maid Park - Houston, Texas

Probable Starters:

Monday - First Pitch 7:10 PM
Alex White (3-4, 3.36) vs Trevor May ( 1-1, 4.38)

Tuesday - First Pitch 7:10 PM
Jerome Williams (10-5, 3.19) vs Kevin Correia (8-7, 3.52)

Wednesday - First Pitch 1:10 PM
Jarred Cosart (8-6, 4.12) vs Alex Meyer (1-4, 5.77)

jaymo76
07-19-2014, 12:47 PM
Houston Astros (61-57) vs Minnesota Twins (53-64)
August 11-13, 2014
Minute Maid Park - Houston, Texas

Probable Starters:

Monday - First Pitch 7:10 PM
Alex White (3-4, 3.36) vs Trevor May ( 1-1, 4.38)

Tuesday - First Pitch 7:10 PM
Jerome Williams (10-5, 3.19) vs Kevin Correia (8-7, 3.52)

Wednesday - First Pitch 1:10 PM
Jarred Cosart (8-6, 4.12) vs Alex Meyer (1-4, 5.77)

If you get any pitching help versus Minny this series will not even be close. Your bats were on fire against the Rangers but the struggle of your starting and reliever pitchers was epic. Giving up 27 earned runs in three games was pretty shocking. However, the rebound in game three in the 9th inning was huge. That could be the spark your team needs for a playoff run, at least for the wildcard race.

Like I was saying last night, August is pretty fair for your schedule but September may be tough... well except for the 22.5 game back Mets (lol). With several series left versus division rivals it is totally up in the air who will win the division but I suspect based on how Texas played, they have to be considered the favourites. That being said, if you keep hitting like you are, the Astros could make a deep, deep playoff run. Your starting pitchers need to give you a minimum of 6-7 innings per game or your bullpen will be exhausted come September.

So the million dollar question Steeler, are you going to acquire some pitching help in the offseason or will you look to the farm and possibly look at promotion from within? Do you bring up Paul Clemens? Maybe? Personally I would love to see you make a depth move for someone like R.A. Dickey. However, what would you need to give up for a player near the end of his career?

steelerfan
07-19-2014, 01:09 PM
The Astros have a lot of talent in the system and I added an 18-year-old starting pitcher with the first pick in the draft. He's almost up to snuff with some of my MLB staff and he has A potential.

RA Dickey would be great, mostly so I wouldn't have to face him. He is aggravating to face.

I really like what this team is stacking up to be. Pitching will definitely be needed but I'm sure I'll have at least one ace out of my existing roster in the next couple of years. That said, the right guy at the right price - absolutely. I need to get better in the bullpen. Those arms are mostly old and not good.

steelerfan
07-20-2014, 06:27 AM
With the hapless Minnesota Twins in town the Astros red-hot bats suddenly went cold as Minnesota took 2 of 3 at Minute Maid. Houston had hit .283 and .300 in their two previous series but could only muster a meager .188 against the Twins.

Additionally, the Astros were limited to 5 extra base his and scored just 4 runs.

AL West Standings

Rangers 68-52 --
Mariners 66-54 2.0
Angels 64-56 4.0
Astros 62-59 6.5
Athletics 61-59 7.0

AL Wildcard Standings

Mariners 66-54 --
Indians 65-56 --
Angels 64-56 0.5
Tigers 62-58 2.5
Astros 62-59 3.0
Athletics 61-59 3.5

steelerfan
07-20-2014, 06:29 AM
Houston will play 4 in Boston before getting a day off ahead of a 3-game set at Yankee Stadium. The Astros will close the 10-game trip with 3 in Cleveland.

steelerfan
07-20-2014, 06:35 AM
Houston Astros (62-59) at Boston Red Sox (52-67)
August 14-17, 2014
Fenway Park - Boston, MA

Probable Starters:

Thursday 7:10 PM
Brett Oberholtzer (8-9, 4.76) vs Henry Owens (1-0, 3.00)

Friday 7:10 PM
Scott Feldman (8-5, 4.58) vs Jon Lester (10-9, 3.80)

Saturday 7:10 PM
Alex White (3-5, 3.36) vs Clay Buchholz (8-10, 4.14)

Sunday 1:35 PM
Jerome Williams (11-5, 3.04) vs Jake Peavey (11-9, 3.63)

jaymo76
07-20-2014, 10:17 AM
With the hapless Minnesota Twins in town the Astros red-hot bats suddenly went cold as Minnesota took 2 of 3 at Minute Maid. Houston had hit .283 and .300 in their two previous series but could only muster a meager .188 against the Twins.

Additionally, the Astros were limited to 5 extra base his and scored just 4 runs.

AL West Standings

Rangers 68-52 --
Mariners 66-54 2.0
Angels 64-56 4.0
Astros 62-59 6.5
Athletics 61-59 7.0

AL Wildcard Standings

Mariners 66-54 --
Indians 65-56 --
Angels 64-56 0.5
Tigers 62-58 2.5
Astros 62-59 3.0
Athletics 61-59 3.5

Can't believe your hitting went cold like that. Versus the Rangers your boys were "world-beaters." It's such a tight race... a sweep of the Twins would have been huge. Now do everyone a favour and SWEEP NY AND BOSTON!!! :D

jaymo76
07-20-2014, 10:18 AM
Houston Astros (62-59) at Boston Red Sox (52-67)
August 14-17, 2014
Fenway Park - Boston, MA

Probable Starters:

Thursday 7:10 PM
Brett Oberholtzer (8-9, 4.76) vs Henry Owens (1-0, 3.00)

Friday 7:10 PM
Scott Feldman (8-5, 4.58) vs Jon Lester (10-9, 3.80)

Saturday 7:10 PM
Alex White (3-5, 3.36) vs Clay Buchholz (8-10, 4.14)

Sunday 1:35 PM
Jerome Williams (11-5, 3.04) vs Jake Peavey (11-9, 3.63)

Any chance you will move Brett Oberholtzer out of the starting lineup. He has struggled pretty bad at times this season.

jaymo76
07-20-2014, 05:23 PM
Watching this guy on twitch (CRUMPS) and he's a firsy baseman in RTTS. He lost his last game 20-0. Indianapolis had 26 hits to his teams 5. It was shocking. 11 runs in the 3rd. Crazy! Anyways though, I noticed he had a circle showing in the strike box. I don't recall seeing that before. Is it a feature you can turn on? What is it exactly? It seemed to make it easier to hit but that's just a guess.

steelerfan
07-20-2014, 05:47 PM
Any chance you will move Brett Oberholtzer out of the starting lineup. He has struggled pretty bad at times this season.

He was really good early on. If he continues to struggle, I'll consider my options. I'm just not sure that I have a better one.

steelerfan
07-20-2014, 05:55 PM
Watching this guy on twitch (CRUMPS) and he's a firsy baseman in RTTS. He lost his last game 20-0. Indianapolis had 26 hits to his teams 5. It was shocking. 11 runs in the 3rd. Crazy! Anyways though, I noticed he had a circle showing in the strike box. I don't recall seeing that before. Is it a feature you can turn on? What is it exactly? It seemed to make it easier to hit but that's just a guess.

That is one of the forms of Zone Hitting. This game has several different ways (re: Interfaces) to hit, pitch, field, throw and run bases. It's all up to you. Completely customizable.

I like to use Analog Hitting and Analog Pitching. I let the CPU field, throw and run bases for me (I can force a steal).

That's one of the great things about The Show. They give you a TON of options. Just wanna hit? Ok. Just wanna field? No problem. Just want to pitch and run bases? Fine. Pulse Pitching, Analog Hitting, Button Throwing? Done.

steelerfan
07-22-2014, 12:42 AM
After suffering losses of 7-2, 1-0 and 6-3 in the first three games in Boston, the Astros found themselves back at .500 at 62-62. However, Jerome Williams (12-5, 2.96) earned his twelfth win of 2014 by scattering 4 hits and altering just 1 run in 7 innings of work and Houston took the series finale at Fenway Park, 2-1.

The victory assured the Astros that a fourth consecutive 100+ loss season would not be in the cards this season, securing a goal the team had set back in Spring.

The Astros (63-62) will have Monday off before continuing their current 10-game road trip by playing 3 in New York against the Yankees (53-71).

After the trip to the Big Apple, Houston will finish the trip with a 3-game weekend series in Cleveland against the Indians.

steelerfan
07-22-2014, 12:48 AM
Houston Astros (63-62) vs New York Yankees (53-71)
August 19-21, 2014
Yankee Stadium - New York, NY

Probable Starters

Game One - Tuesday 7:05 PM
Jarred Cosart (8-7, 4.28) vs Hiroki Kuroda (8-9, 4.19)

Game Two - Wednesday 7:05 PM
Brett Oberholtzer (8-10, 4.83) vs Masahiro Tanaka (6-10, 3.68)

Game Three - Thursday 1:05 PM
Scott Feldman (8-6, 4.41) vs Michael Pineda (6-8, 3.63)

jaymo76
07-22-2014, 12:16 PM
After suffering losses of 7-2, 1-0 and 6-3 in the first three games in Boston, the Astros found themselves back at .500 at 62-62. However, Jerome Williams (12-5, 2.96) earned his twelfth win of 2014 by scattering 4 hits and altering just 1 run in 7 innings of work and Houston took the series finale at Fenway Park, 2-1.

The victory assured the Astros that a fourth consecutive 100+ loss season would not be in the cards this season, securing a goal the team had set back in Spring.

The Astros (63-62) will have Monday off before continuing their current 10-game road trip by playing 3 in New York against the Yankees (53-71).

After the trip to the Big Apple, Houston will finish the trip with a 3-game weekend series in Cleveland against the Indians.

Only saw a little bit of one of your games last night but it looks like you are getting pretty streaky pitching again. At this point is there anyone on the farm you want to try out for next year?

jaymo76
07-22-2014, 12:17 PM
Only saw a little bit of one of your games last night but it looks like you are getting pretty streaky pitching again. At this point is there anyone on the farm you want to try out for next year?

Edit: I notice that confidence is huge in this game... when you enter a cold streak you become ICE COLD. This was the case for me last night versus Tulsa for two straight games.

jaymo76
07-22-2014, 12:21 PM
Only saw a little bit of one of your games last night but it looks like you are getting pretty streaky pitching again. At this point is there anyone on the farm you want to try out for next year?

Edit: I notice that confidence is huge in this game... when you enter a cold streak you become ICE COLD. This was the case for me last night versus Tulsa for two straight games.

steelerfan
07-22-2014, 02:22 PM
Only saw a little bit of one of your games last night but it looks like you are getting pretty streaky pitching again. At this point is there anyone on the farm you want to try out for next year?

I only have about 10 games left until I get to September.

I'm not sure if you are familiar with baseball rules but, in September MLB rosters expand from 25 to 40. That allows you to call up everyone on your 40-man roster.

I'm going to wait until then so I don't burn an option sending a guy down to get a pitcher 1 or 2 starts.

steelerfan
07-23-2014, 03:31 AM
The Astros lost their fourth consecutive series, dropping 2 of 3 at Yankee Stadium.

HOU 4-12-0 F/11
NYY 5-11-1

HOU 8-14-0
NYY 12-14-0

HOU 8-10-0
NYY 0-1-1

Despite the results, Houston (64-64) hit .303 with 5 doubles and ten homers in the series.

Rookie sensation George Springer went 8-12 with 4 doubles, 4 homers and 8 RBI. Springer hit 2 long balls in both games 2 and 3.

Brett Oberholtzer (8-10, 5.16) had another rough start in game 2, allowing 6 hits and 7 earned runs in just 3 innings of work. Following the disastrous outing, Manager Bo Porter announced that Brad Peacock (4-5, 3.40) would move into the starting rotation and Oberholtzer would move to a long relief role, "for the time being". Peacock has made 3 spot starts for the Astros this season.

In the series finale, only a third inning walk and a fourth inning leadoff double by Ichiro Suzuki separated Scott Feldman from perfection. Feldman (9-6, 4.13) struck out 5 and pitched a brilliant 1-hit, complete game shutout in Houston's 8-0 victory. Feldman retired the final 18 batters he faced in order.

The Astros will wrap up their road trip in Cleveland this weekend. After the Indians (68-59), Houston will play 18 consecutive games against division opponents.

AL West Standings (through August 21):

Rangers 70-56 --
Mariners 69-57 1.0
Angels 67-60 3.5
Athletics 64-62 6.0
Astros 64-64 7.0

steelerfan
07-23-2014, 03:36 AM
Houston Astros 64-64) at Cleveland Indians (68-59)
August 22-24, 2014
Progressive Field - Cleveland, OH

Probable Starters:

Game One - Friday 7:05 PM
Alex White (3-6, 3.69) vs Josh Tomlin (10-6, 4.11)

Game Two - Saturday 7:05 PM
Jerome Williams (12-5, 2.96) vs Wandy Rodriguez (7-8, 4.44)

Game Three - Sunday 1:05 PM
Jarred Cosart (8-7, 4.26) vs Carlos Carrasco (7-4, 2.97)

jaymo76
07-24-2014, 01:06 AM
Tough loss to the Indians tonight (and I know you hate losing to anything from Cleveland).

steelerfan
07-24-2014, 01:35 AM
Tough loss to the Indians tonight (and I know you hate losing to anything from Cleveland).

Lol. The Indians are the one I can stomach. When I lived there in the mid to late 80s I rooted for them casually. Afterall, the Astros were in the National League and there was no Interleague play so they weren't in direct competition.

I made the decision to move from Dynamic Difficulty to Veteran batting and All-Star pitching, beginning with that game. I've come to believe that DD will keep you playing .500 baseball over the long run.

I didn't conclude this on my 64-64 record alone. I've read others saying the same and my friend is like 2 games over after about 100 games with the Royals.

That said, I will be watching my statistics VERY CLOSELY to see if those skill levels are appropriate for me.

steelerfan
07-24-2014, 04:07 PM
Houston (65-66) lost a 5th consecutive series, losing 2 of 3 on the shores of Lake Smegma Erie.

HOU 4-12-1 F/12
CLE 5-10-2

HOU 3-13-1 F/10
CLE 2-7-2

HOU 0-6-0
CLE 4-9-0

Rookie outfielder Domingo Santana suffered a broken arm diving into first base on a pickoff attempt in the second inning. The injury likely ends Santana's season.

Santana played in 41 games for Houston after being called up to replace an injured LJ Hoes (who was called up to replace an injured Dexter Fowler). However, Santana was largely used as a defensive replacement and had only 55 at-bats.

He made the most of his opportunities though, hitting .400 with 5 homers and 17 RBI. Domingo scored 12 runs, had 3 doubles, a triple and was successful on 2 of 3 steal attempts.

Santana also showed patience at the plate, drawing 6 walks and posting a .444 OBP to go with a .764 SLG% and a 1.208 OPS. In 148.2 innings in the field, he committed just one error for a .970 Fielding %.

Hoes, who had been tearing up the AAA circuit since his return, has been recalled by the Astros to replace Santana.

The Astros will play their next 9 at Minute Maid Park starting with 3 against Oakland, then 4 with Texas and 2 with the Angels.

jaymo76
07-24-2014, 04:14 PM
How many games are you back now? (division and wildcard?). That sucks about Santana. The times I have watched he has had some decent play. These next nine games are pretty crucial. Good luck!

steelerfan
07-24-2014, 04:14 PM
Houston Astros (65-66) vs Oakland Athletics (66-63)
August 25-27, 2014
Minute Maid Park - Houston, TX

Probable Starters:

Game One - Monday 7:10 PM
Brad Peacock (4-5, 3.40) vs Josh Lindblom (5-4, 4.32)

Game Two - Tuesday 7:10 PM
Scott Feldman (9-6, 4.13) vs Sonny Gray (9-8, 3.02)

Game Three - Wednesday 7:10 PM
Alex White (3-6, 3.63) vs AJ Griffin (7-6, 3.69)

The Astros are 9-4 against Oakland in 2014. The clubs will meet again (September 5-7) in Oakland.

steelerfan
07-24-2014, 11:58 PM
How many games are you back now? (division and wildcard?). That sucks about Santana. The times I have watched he has had some decent play. These next nine games are pretty crucial. Good luck!

After winning the opener against the A's, I'm 7 back in the West (in last place) and 5 back in the Wildcard race. Not likely, not looking to make the playoffs yet.

steelerfan
07-25-2014, 04:00 AM
The miserable month of August continued for Houston (66-68) as the Astros dropped 2 of 3 to Oakland, marking the sixth consecutive series that the club has lost. Houston is just 6-14 over their last 20 games since starting August 5 straight wins (7 dating back to the end of July).

OAK 4-7-0
HOU 7-11-0

OAK 2-9-1 F/10
HOU 1-2-1

OAK 5-11-0
HOU 1-6-0

Houston was an embarrassing 19 for 101 (.188) at the plate in the series.

The Astros will close the month with 4 games against the Texas Rangers. Houston is 7-6 against Texas this year and will play 3 more in Arlington (September 22-24) before the end of the season.

AL West Standings through August 27:

Mariners 73-59 --
Rangers 71-61 2.0
Angels 70-63 3.5
Athletics 68-64 5.0
Astros 66-68 8.0

steelerfan
07-25-2014, 04:08 AM
Houston Astros (66-68) vs Texas Rangers (71-61)
August 28-31, 2014
Minute Maid Park - Houston, TX

Probable Starters:

Game One - Thursday 7:10 PM
Jerome Williams (12-5, 2.86) vs Derek Holland (1-5, 5.44)

Game Two - Friday 7:10 PM
Jarred Cosart (8-8, 4.27) vs Martin Perez (11-8, 3.69)

Game Three - Saturday 6:10 PM
Brad Peacock (5-5, 3.38) vs Robbie Ross (11-9, 3.28)

Game Four - Sunday 1:10 PM
Scott Feldman (9-6, 4.01) vs Yu Darvish (13-5, 2.72)

steelerfan
07-26-2014, 03:50 PM
The Astros limped into the final month of the 2014 season by losing a seventh consecutive series, dropping 3 of 4 to Texas.

TEX 7-11-3
HOU 4-5-0

TEX 0-7-0
HOU 2-6-0

TEX 7-11-2 F/11
HOU 5-13-1

TEX 5-9-0
HOU 0-4-2

The Astros record against the Rangers now stands at 8-9 this season.

Houston will host the Angels for 2 games, sandwiched been a pair of off days. Houston is 5-9 against their LA division rivals this year.

Standings through September 1, 2014:

AL East

Toronto 74-62 --
Boston 65-72 9.5
Tampa Bay 62-76 13.0
NY Yankees 61-75 13.0
Baltimore 53-84 21.5

AL Central

Kansas City 81-56 --
Cleveland 75-62 6.0
Detroit 70-67 11.0
Minnesota 65-72 16.0
ChiSox 59-78 22.0

AL West

Seattle 75-61 --
Texas 75-62 0.5
LA Angels71-66 4.5
Oakland 71-66 4.5
Houston 67-71 9.0

NL East

Washington 79-58 --
Atlanta 79-59 0.5
Miami 67-70 12.0
Philadelphia 56-81 23.0
NY Mets 52-86 27.5

NL Central

Milwaukee 84-53 --
St. Louis 76-61 8.0
Cincinnati 67-70 17.0
Pittsburgh 51-86 33.0
ChiCubs 51-87 33.5

NL West

LA Dodgers 87-51 --
San Diego 74-62 12.0
San Francisco 73-65 14.0
Colorado 69-69 18.0
Arizona 68-69 18.5

steelerfan
07-26-2014, 03:58 PM
As the season has rolled into September and Major League rosters have expanded to 40, here are the players who will be join Houston for the stretch run:

SP Luis Cruz
SP Paul Clemens*
SP Dallas Keuchel
SP Lucas Harrell
RP Josh Fields*
RP Matt Albers*
RP Anthony Bass
RP Jose Cisnero
C Max Stassi
SP Rudy Owens
SP Collin McHugh
SP Vincent Velasquez
SP David Martinez
SP Asher Wojciechski**
2B Jose Altuve***

* spent part of 2014 with the Astros
** contract purchased from AAA Oklahoma City
*** activated from Disabled List

steelerfan
07-26-2014, 04:03 PM
Houston Astros (67-71) vs Los Angeles Angels (71-66)
September 2-3, 2014
Minute Maid Park - Houston, TX

Probable Starters:

Game One - Tuesday 7:10 PM
Alex White (3-7, 3.82) vs Hector Santiago (10-10, 4.88)

Game Two - Wednesday 7:10 PM
Jerome Williams (12-6, 2.99) vs Garrett Richards (8-10, 4.86)

steelerfan
07-26-2014, 08:51 PM
Houston avoided losing an 8th consecutive series by splitting a pair with the Angels. The Astros have, however, gone 8 series without a series win.

LAA 7-12-3
HOU 4-5-1

LAA 4-11-0
HOU 9-12-1

Four Houston pitchers made their season or Major League debuts during the 2-game set:

28-year-old righty Lucas Harrell pitched 3 perfect innings, striking out one, in his 2014 MLB debut.

Luis Cruz, 23, allowed 2 runs, 4 hits (including a homer) and struck out 2 in 2 innings in his MLB debut.

Anthony Bass, 26, also made his season debut - surrendering a run on 2 hits in 1.1 innings.

Rudy Owens, 26, pitched 1.2 scoreless innings in 2 outings, his first in the Bigs, surrendering a hit and walking 2 while striking out 1.

steelerfan
07-26-2014, 08:54 PM
The Astros will hit the road again with three 3-game series against division foes (Oakland, Seattle and LA) before coming back to Minute Maid for their final 7 home games of 2014.

steelerfan
07-26-2014, 09:07 PM
Houston Astros (68-72) at Oakland Athletics (77-67)
September 5-7, 2014
O.co Coliseum - Oakland, CA

Probable Starters:

Game One - Friday 7:05 PM
Jarred Cosart (9-8, 4.04) vs Josh Lindblom (6-5, 4.17)

Game Two - Saturday 1:05 PM
Brad Peacock (5-5, 3.44) vs Sonny Gray (10-8, 2.92)

Game Three - Sunday 1:05 PM
Scott Feldman (9-7, 3.89) vs AJ Griffin (8-7, 3.69)

All games will be broadcast* on the official home of Houston Astros Baseball - www.twitch.tv/steelerfan1933 - check your local cable provider for times and stations.


*Major League Baseball Blackout Rules Apply

steelerfan
07-27-2014, 08:40 AM
In a 9-4 loss in the opener with Oakland, Astros second baseman Jose Altuve returned to the lineup after being activated from the DL. However, rookie shortstop Carlos Correa suffered a shoulder pull in the 8th inning.

The Astros decided to place Correa on the 60-Day DL, ending his season. In 28 games, the 19-year-old had 98 at-bats, hitting .245 with 2 home runs and 7 RBI. In the field, Correa had 87 assists and 39 put outs; while his 2 errors resulted in a .984 fielding percentage.

By placing Correa on the 60-Day DL, the Astros opened a spot on the 40-man roster. To fill this spot, Houston purchased the contract of 22-year-old 2B/OF Tony Kemp from AAA Oklahoma City. Kemp has yet to debut in the Majors.

jaymo76
07-27-2014, 11:50 AM
Looking forward to seeing what Kemp can do. Did you make a corresponding move at A & AA?

steelerfan
07-27-2014, 02:49 PM
Looking forward to seeing what Kemp can do. Did you make a corresponding move at A & AA?

Don't have to. The reason the roster can expand to 40 is because the minor league seasons are done.

jaymo76
07-27-2014, 03:15 PM
Don't have to. The reason the roster can expand to 40 is because the minor league seasons are done.

Ah right. Forgot you were already at that point. How did your farm teams end up doing this season? Any hardware for the Astros organization???

steelerfan
07-27-2014, 03:21 PM
Ah right. Forgot you were already at that point. How did your farm teams end up doing this season? Any hardware for the Astros organization???

No. They finished at or below .500.

steelerfan
07-27-2014, 07:13 PM
No. They finished at or below .500.

The exact numbers:

AAA Oklahoma City RedHawks 70-74
AA Corpus Christi Hooks 33-31

steelerfan
07-27-2014, 07:33 PM
The Astros have run their streak of not winning a series to nine in a row as they lost 2 of 3 in Oakland.

HOU 4-9-1
OAK 9-10-0

HOU 5-12-0
OAK 2-6-0

HOU 1-5-0
OAK 2-7-0

Jason Castro fueled a 4-run ninth with a 3-run homer in Houston's only win, in Game Two.

The Astros will stay on the west coast for 3 in Seattle before returning to California to play 3 in LA against the Angels.

With the roster at 40, the Oakland series marked more season and MLB debuts for Houston players:

22-year-old utility man Tony Kemp appeared as a pinch runner twice and scored the tying run in the ninth in Houston's 5-2 Game 2 win. For Kemp, it was his Major League debut.

Catcher Max Stassi, 22, caught the eighth inning of the 9-4 Game One loss and grounded out in the top of the ninth. Stassi had 7 at-bats in 2013, making this his season debut.

Dallas Keuchel, 26, made his season debut, allowing just one hit in one inning on the hill.

Vincent Velasquez, 22, was brilliant in his MLB debut in Game 3. Velasquez struck out 3 and allowed just one hit in 3 innings of work.

26-year-old David Martinez made his season debut in Game 3. The 6'2" righty gave up a hit and struck one batter out in 2/3 of an inning.

There are three Astros who have yet to make an appearance this season:

25-year-old pitcher Asher Wojciechski will make his Major League debut in Seattle as he is scheduled to start Game One.

Additionally, 24-year-old reliever Jose Cisnero and 26-year-old starting pitcher Colin McHugh are still waiting to make their season debuts.

steelerfan
07-27-2014, 07:35 PM
AL West Standings through September 7, 2014:

Rangers 79-64 --
Mariners 78-64 0.5
Athletics 74-68 4.5
Angels 74-69 5.0
Astros 69-74 10.0

steelerfan
07-27-2014, 07:41 PM
Houston Astros (69-74) at Seattle Mariners (78-64)
September 8-10, 2014
SAFECO Field - Seattle, WA

Game One - Monday 7:10 PM
Asher Wojciechski (0-0, 0.00) vs Taijuan Walker (7-2, 2.86)

Game Two - Tuesday 7:10 PM
Jerome Williams (13-6, 3.04) vs Erasmo Ramirez (8-13, 4.35)

Game Three - Wednesday 7:10 PM
Jarred Cosart (9-9, 4.33) vs Chris Young (8-7, 3.39)

steelerfan
07-28-2014, 01:11 AM
Big news coming out of Seattle following Houston's 2-1 win over the M's in Monday night's series opener.

First, the win gives Houston 70 (70-74) this season, a mark they haven't hit since going 76-86 in 2010.

Secondly, George Springer's 2-run homer to right in the 4th inning helped the rookie reclaim the team lead in home runs with 29. Chris Carter is sitting on 28.

Next, Jesse Crain pitched a perfect ninth inning to earn his 40th Save of 2014. Considering that Crain missed the first month-plus, and is playing for a struggling ballclub, it is quite an accomplishment.

Lastly, the biggest news of the night came from Asher Wojciechski. The 25-year-old made his Major League debut and dazzled in 7 innings of work. The 6'4", 235 lb. righty allowed just one run on three hits to go with one walk and 6 strikeouts. Wojciechski was dominant at times, including striking out the side in order in the 4th inning and recording 4 consecutive punch outs going back to the 3rd inning. Certainly a debut to remember.

steelerfan
07-28-2014, 03:53 PM
After losing 8 of their last 9 series, and splitting the other, Houston did the unthinkable in Seattle. The Astros swept the Mariners who are in the thick of the race for both the AL West title and an AL wildcard spot.

HOU 2-5-1
SEA 1-3-0

HOU 9-11-1
SEA 1-9-0

HOU 6-13-1
SEA 4-6-0

Tony Kemp got his first Major League base hit in Game 2 and Max Stassi recorded his first hit of the season (2nd career hit).

The Astros also cleared the bench, as the remainder of the 40-man roster debuted.

Collin McHugh, 26, made his season debut, allowing a hit and a walk while recording a strike out in a scoreless inning.

Reliever Jose Cisnero, 24, also made his season debut. In one inning, Cisnero 3 hits and a run with one punch out.

Injuries to Jerome Williams (bruised hand) and Jarred Cosart (bruised shin) have Mark Appel and Vincent Velasquez penciled into the Houston rotation.

The Astros travel to LA next to play 3 with the Angels, before returning to Houston to host Cleveland and Seattle.

AL West Standings through September 11, 2014:

Rangers 80-67 --
Mariners 79-67 0.5
Athletics 77-70 3.0
Angels 76-70 3.5
Astros 72-74 7.5

steelerfan
07-28-2014, 04:09 PM
Houston Astros (72-74) at Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (76-70)
Angel Stadium of Anaheim - Anaheim, CA
September 12-14, 2014

Probable Starters:

Game One - Friday 7:05 PM
Scott Feldman (9-7, 3.87) vs CJ Wilson (7-12, 6.61)

Game Two - Saturday 6:05 PM
Brad Peacock (5-5, 3.42) vs Hector Santiago (11-11, 4.99)

Game Three - Sunday 12:35 PM
Asher Wojciechski (1-0, 1.29) vs Garrett Richards (8-12, 5.42)

jaymo76
07-28-2014, 04:23 PM
Haven't seen a lot of your games lately but I need to try and catch that Angels series. Love games broadcast from Anaheim... beauty of a stadium! Are you going to play them today?

steelerfan
07-28-2014, 05:42 PM
Haven't seen a lot of your games lately but I need to try and catch that Angels series. Love games broadcast from Anaheim... beauty of a stadium! Are you going to play them today?

I'm going to get one or trip in tonight, yeah. Not sure what time though.

I'm going to be busy for most of the next week to ten days, during the day. My broadcasts will probably be in the evening.

JBHuskers
07-29-2014, 10:44 AM
At the top of the page "the official home for Astros Baseball" :D love it!

They've been demoted from TV to Twitch ;)

steelerfan
07-30-2014, 12:53 AM
At the top of the page "the official home for Astros Baseball" :D love it!

They've been demoted from TV to Twitch ;)

:up:

steelerfan
07-30-2014, 01:08 AM
The Astros completed an impressive 9-game road trip by taking 2 of 3 in Anaheim to win their second consecutive series and go 6-3 on the trip.

HOU 4-5-2
LAA 2-6-2

HOU 4-7-0 F/10
LAA 5-7-1

HOU 6-13-0
LAA 0-1-0

The Astros got more impressive outings from the September Bunch, giving first career starts to Tony Kemp and Max Stassi in game 3.

Kemp is 4-5 with an RBI and 3 runs, while Stassi has made the most of his chances going 3-6 with a pair of runs.

The real buzz is being created by starting pitcher Asher Wojciechski who was even more impressive in his second start. In Anaheim, Wojciechski pitched a complete game 1-hit shutout that included 7 Ks and just one walk, while facing the minimum.

In 2 outings for Houston, Woj is 2-0 with an ERA of 0.56. In 16 innings, he has struck out 13 and walked 2 while allowing just 4 hits (0.38 WHIP). His opponents are hitting just .080 which includes right handed batters going hitless to date.

Houston will begin their final home stand of 2014 on Monday night as they host Cleveland for 4 followed by 3 with Seattle.

steelerfan
07-30-2014, 01:17 AM
Houston Astros (74-75) vs Cleveland Indians (83-66)
September 15-18, 2014
Minute Maid Park - Houston, TX

Probable Starters:

Game One - Monday 7:10 PM
Jerome Williams (13-6, 3.01) vs Carlos Carrasco (8-4, 2.86)

Game Two - Tuesday 7:10 PM
Jarred Cosart (9-9, 4.34) vs Justin Masterson (10-3, 2.25)

Game Three - Wednesday 7:10 PM
Scott Feldman (10-7, 3.78) vs Danny Salazar (9-4, 3.04)

Game Four - Thursday 7:10 PM
Brad Peacock (5-5, 3.47) vs Zach McAllister (7-11, 3.64)

steelerfan
07-30-2014, 01:19 AM
Note: The Toronto Blue Jays (81-67) have clinched the American League Eastern Division title, becoming the first club in Major League Baseball to secure a 2014 Playoff spot.

jaymo76
07-30-2014, 01:21 AM
Here we go Blue Jays here we go!

jaymo76
08-02-2014, 04:14 PM
Steeler are you almost finished the season? Let me know when you are doing the offseason, if your are streaming it. I'd like to check that out.

steelerfan
08-02-2014, 04:17 PM
I have 9 games remaining. I will try to give good notice as to when I will be streaming the offseason.

jaymo76
08-02-2014, 04:22 PM
I have 9 games remaining. I will try to give good notice as to when I will be streaming the offseason.

Sounds good. I've been pretty busy the last few days so I haven't caught any of your progress. Plus last night in the "real world" I was actually watching the Jays and Astros game. It was a great game up until the Astros won. :bang:

steelerfan
08-02-2014, 04:27 PM
Sounds good. I've been pretty busy the last few days so I haven't caught any of your progress. Plus last night in the "real world" I was actually watching the Jays and Astros game. It was a great game up until the Astros won. :bang:

Heh. I've been busy too. Things should get back to normal around Thursday or so.

steelerfan
08-03-2014, 12:28 AM
The Astros and Indians split 4 games at Minute Maid Park, with each club winning an extra inning marathon.

CLE 5-8-0 F/13
HOU 6-16-1

CLE 3-9-0
HOU 1-5-0

CLE 2-7-0
HOU 3-8-0

CLE 4-13-2 F/14
HOU 2-6-1

Mark Appel was given his first career start on the mound in the fourth game and pitched well. Appel went scoreless 6 innings, allowing just 3 hits and 2 walks while punching out 7. Appel left with a 2-0 lead but eventually got a No Decision as Houston lost in 14.

Chris Carter homered twice in the series and moved back into a tie with Rookie George Springer for the team lead with 30.

With just nine games remaining in 2014, the Astros will close the home portion of the schedule with 3 games this weekend against the Seattle Mariners. After that, it's 3 in Arlington against the Rangers and 3 in New York against the Mets to finish the season.

AL West Standings through September 18, 2014:

Rangers 82-70 --
Mariners 82-70 --
Athletics 80-72 2.0
Angels 79-74 3.5
Astros 76-77 6.5

steelerfan
08-03-2014, 12:34 AM
Houston Astros (76-77) vs Seattle Mariners (82-70)
September 19-21, 2014
Minute Maid Park - Houston, TX

Probable Starters:

Game One - Friday 7:10 PM
Asher Wojciechski (2-0, 0.56) vs Taijuan Walker (8-3, 2.91)

Game Two - Saturday 6:10 PM
Jerome Williams (13-6, 3.06) vs Erasmo Ramirez (8-15, 4.43)

Game Three - Sunday 1:10 PM
Jarred Cosart (9-9, 4.24) vs Chris Young (8-8, 3.58)

steelerfan
08-03-2014, 12:41 AM
Mr. September Asher Wojciechski will make his first start at Minute Maid Park in Game One of the upcoming Seattle series. Asher has been phenomenal in his first 2 starts (at Seattle and the Angels) and will faceoff against Taijuan Walker whom he beat on September 8 in his first career start.

I'm going to stream the game (as I do all of them) in about 20 minutes (1:00 AM Central). Hop on if you want to see if Woj can keep the magical start to his MLB career going.

www.twitch.tv/steelerfan1933

jaymo76
08-03-2014, 03:50 AM
Mr. September Asher Wojciechski will make his first start at Minute Maid Park in Game One of the upcoming Seattle series. Asher has been phenomenal in his first 2 starts (at Seattle and the Angels) and will faceoff against Taijuan Walker whom he beat on September 8 in his first career start.

I'm going to stream the game (as I do all of them) in about 20 minutes (1:00 AM Central). Hop on if you want to see if Woj can keep the magical start to his MLB career going.

www.twitch.tv/steelerfan1933

Well don't leave us in suspense? Did he get the win???

SmoothPancakes
08-03-2014, 04:01 AM
Well don't leave us in suspense? Did he get the win???

Not that I saw from the inning or two that I watched before jumping over to your game against Durham. :D

steelerfan
08-03-2014, 04:02 AM
Well don't leave us in suspense? Did he get the win???

He pitched well, but I shouldn't have started him. He wasn't fully recovered from his CG in the previous outing. However, I wanted to get him a start at home and Williams and Cosart were scheduled for the last 2 home games. I didn't want to bump them to give Woj another day to rest because Williams has been my best pitcher all season and Cosart has the highest rating (85). Therefore, I figured they deserved one more start at Minute Maid too and decided to pitch Woj.

He only have up 1 earned run and struck out 7 in 5.1 innings but got a ND. Houston did eventually win, 4-3.

steelerfan
08-04-2014, 08:07 PM
The Astros played their last home game of 2014 on Sunday afternoon and closed the campaign at Minute Maid in style. Taking 2 of 3 from Seattle, Houston beat the M's 6-3 behind three 2-run homers.

Chris Carter belted his 31st of the year off the facade above the Crawford Boxes in the 1st and Jose Altuve curled his 8th long ball just inside the left field foul pole in the 2nd. Then in the bottom of the 8th, Carter re-took the team lead from George Springer by sending his 32nd blast into the Crawford Boxes.

Houston was 39-42 at Minute Maid Park in 2014.

The Astros took 12 of 19 from the Mariners, who are now in a 3-way tie atop the AL West, this season.

SEA 3-8-1
HOU 4-6-1

SEA 9-18-0
HOU 5-5-2

SEA 3-5-1
HOU 6-6-0

The Astros travel to Arlington next and will play 3 against another of the division's co-leaders, Texas, beginning Monday. Houston will have Thursday off before playing their last 3 games of 2014 in New York against the Mets.

Houston Team Leaders at Home:

Avg: Springer .258
Hits: Carter 75
RBI: Carter 43
HR: Carter, Springer 15
Wins: Cosart 8

MLB Standings through September 21, 2014:

American League

East
x-Blue Jays 85-70 --
Rays 73-83 12.5
Red Sox 73-83 12.5
Yankees 67-88 18.0
Orioles 63-92 22.0

Central
Royals 89-66 --
Indians 88-68 1.5
Tigers 80-75 9.0
Twins 70-85 19.0
White Sox 66-89 23.0

West
Athletics 83-72 --
Rangers 83-72 --
Mariners 83-72 --
Angels 81-75 2.5
Astros 78-78 5.5

National League

East
Nationals 89-67 --
Braves 88-67 0.5
Marlins 79-77 10.0
Phillies 63-93 26.0
Mets 60-96 29.0

Central
Brewers 91-65 --
Cardinals 85-71 6.0
Reds 79-77 12.0
Pirates 62-93 28.5
Cubs 57-99 34.0

West
x-Dodgers 96-60 --
Padres 85-70 10.5
Giants 83-72 12.5
Rockies 80-76 16.0
Diamondbacks 74-82 22.0

X: Clinched Division

steelerfan
08-04-2014, 08:19 PM
Houston Astros (78-78) at Texas Rangers (83-72)
September 22-24, 2014
Globe Life Park - Arlington, TX

Probable Starters:

Game One - Monday 7:05 PM
Scott Feldman (10-7, 3.78) vs Yu Darvish (15-7, 2.91)

Game Two - Tuesday 7:05 PM
Brad Peacock (5-5, 3.47) vs Tanner Scheppers (11-12, 4.77)

Game Three - Wednesday 7:05 PM
Asher Wojciechski (2-0, 0.84) vs Martin Perez (11-10, 3.72)

steelerfan
08-04-2014, 11:12 PM
I'm down to 5 games remaining in the season. I'm planning to play, at least, one more tonight. The tentative plan is to stream the offseason Thursday night. I'd like to open up a Party Chat on the PS4 during the offseason stream.

All of that said, anyone who would be interested in participating can post your availability Thursday and I will do my best to set a time that can accommodate you.

steelerfan
08-06-2014, 03:15 AM
The Astros went to Arlington and took 2 of 3 from Texas, compromising the Rangers playoff chances.

HOU 7-16-2
TEX 1-3-1

HOU 3-8-0
TEX 2-7-0

HOU 1-7-1
TEX 6-13-1

Houston, after taking Thursday off, travels to New York to close the season against the Mets.

MLB Standings through September 25, 2014:

American League

East
X-Blue Jays 86-73 -
Rays 75-84 11.0
Red Sox 74-85 12.0
Yankees 69-90 17.0
Orioles 65-94 21.0

Central
Z-Indians 90-69 -
Z-Royals 90-69 -
Tigers 81-78 9.0
Twins 72-87 18.0
White Sox 69-90 21.0

West
Mariners 86-73 -
Rangers 85-74 1.0
Athletics 84-75 2.0
Angels 83-76 3.0
Astros 80-79 6.0

National League

East
Z-Nationals 90-69 -
Z-Braves 90-69 -
Marlins 80-79 10.0
Phillies 65-94 25.0
Mets 62-97 28.0

Central
X-Brewers 93-66 -
Cardinals 85-74 8.0
Reds 80-79 13.0
Pirates 64-95 29.0
Cubs 60-99 33.0

West
X-Dodgers 97-62 -
Padres 86-73 11.0
Giants 85-74 12.0
Rockies 83-76 14.0
Diamondbacks 76-83 21.0

X: Clinched Division
Y: Wild Card
Z: Clinched Playoff Berth


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A

steelerfan
08-06-2014, 03:31 AM
Houston Astros (80-79) at New York Mets (62-97)
September 26 - 28, 2014
Citi Field, New York, NY

Probable Starters:

Game One - Friday 7:10 PM
Asher Wojciechski (2-0, 0.84) vs Jacob DeGrom (1-2, 1.90)

Game Two - Saturday 7:10 PM
David Martinez (0-0, 2.70) vs Zack Wheeler (7-16, 4.01)

Game Three - 1:10 PM
Mark Appel (1-1, 1.86) vs Jeremy Hefner (6-18, 4.34)

After mixing up his rotation in the Texas series, Astros' Manager Bo Porter announced that the organization's three MiLB All-Star starting pitchers will get the nod in the final series of the season as Houston has been eliminated from playoff contention.

The Astros need one win to avoid a sixth consecutive losing season. The Mets can avoid a 100-loss season with a single win in the series.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A

steelerfan
08-06-2014, 06:46 AM
Houston assured themselves of their first non-losing season in 6 years on Friday night in Flushing with a 2-1 win over the Mets at Citi Field.

The game's only runs all came courtesy of solo home runs.

Chris Carter hit his 34th of the season in the top of the 1st, Travis d'Arnaud leveled the score with his 3rd homer in the bottom of the 5th inning and Jon Singleton provided the difference-maker, his 14th, in the top of the 7th.

The real story, however, was the final start of 2014 for 25-year-old rookie Asher Wojciechski. Wojciechski, in his 4th start, pitched a complete game, scattering 6 hits while walking just 1 and striking out a dozen Mets.

Wojciechski finishes his September stint with the big club, going 3-0 with a 0.89 ERA. The righty struck out 31 and walked just 8 in 30.1 innings. He posted a WHIP of 0.63, allowing 14 hits and just 1 long ball. Lefties hit .167 against him, while righties batted just .098.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A

jaymo76
08-06-2014, 02:57 PM
You playing tonight? I have wanted to see how bad these Mets are. lol

steelerfan
08-06-2014, 05:32 PM
You playing tonight? I have wanted to see how bad these Mets are. lol
Yes. I'm going to play game 2 right now and I'll probably play game 3 within an hour or two of finishing game 2.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A

jaymo76
08-07-2014, 02:27 PM
Steeler are you live streaming the off season tonight? I saw your 2nd to last game but I don't know if you broadcast your last game of the season.

steelerfan
08-07-2014, 03:01 PM
I will broadcast the last game tonight. I fell behind schedule so the off season will probably be done tomorrow or this weekend.

Before I do the off season, I want to get all the pertinent stats and standings posted in here.

I'll keep you posted.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A

steelerfan
08-07-2014, 10:37 PM
For work I spend a lot of time downtown, near here:

810

Took this picture today.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A

jaymo76
08-07-2014, 10:46 PM
Nice! Definitely haven't seen enough stadiums up to this point in my life.

steelerfan
08-08-2014, 12:45 AM
Finished my season of tonight. Played all 162. That's only the second time I've ever done that, the other was on, I think, 2k6.

I'm going to post a season recap and stats tomorrow, I hope. The off season will get done tomorrow night or this weekend. I'll broadcast it, posting the day and time ahead of time.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A

jaymo76
08-08-2014, 12:52 AM
Looking forward to the recap of the season. Are you going to sim the playoffs first or will that be a part of your post season stream?

steelerfan
08-08-2014, 04:32 AM
Looking forward to the recap of the season. Are you going to sim the playoffs first or will that be a part of your post season stream?
I'm not sure, yet.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A

steelerfan
08-08-2014, 01:28 PM
Well, goddammit.

It appears that my full stats have been lost since I simmed to the end of the regular season. This pretty much destroys the plans that I had for my recap.

All I have for each player is the very first screen on their player card that shows their very basic stats.

I'm going to post those today.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A

jaymo76
08-08-2014, 01:49 PM
Well, goddammit.

It appears that my full stats have been lost since I simmed to the end of the regular season. This pretty much destroys the plans that I had for my recap.

All I have for each player is the very first screen on their player card that shows their very basic stats.

I'm going to post those today.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A

Sorry to hear that buddy. I posted in the wishlist thread about info like stats rolling over from year to year in RTTS. I guess we should add franchise to that as well.

steelerfan
08-08-2014, 04:03 PM
The Astros wrapped up the 2014 season on Sunday in Flushing, sweeping the hapless Mets with a 9-5 win in the finale.

HOU 2-8-0
NYM 1-6-0

HOU 2-5-2 F/10
NYM 1-5-0

HOU 9-13-1
NYM 5-7-1

Despite missing the playoffs, the season was a success for Manager Bo Porter's club. Houston finished 83-79, a 32-game improvement over 2013.

Rookie outfielder George Springer was named the American League Rookie of the Year for 2014.

811

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steelerfan
08-08-2014, 04:05 PM
2014 MLB FINAL STANDINGS

AMERICAN LEAGUE

812
813
814
815

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steelerfan
08-08-2014, 04:10 PM
2014 MLB FINAL STANDINGS

NATIONAL LEAGUE

817
818
819
820

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steelerfan
08-08-2014, 04:13 PM
The Los Angeles Dodgers were crowned 2014 World Series Champions, defeating the American League Champion Toronto Blue Jays in 7 games.

821
822
823

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jaymo76
08-08-2014, 04:19 PM
The Los Angeles Dodgers were crowned 2014 World Series Champions, defeating the American League Champion Toronto Blue Jays in 7 games.

821
822
823

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Damn! The jays lose in seven. That's a real heart-breaker. In truth though I am surprised they made it to the World Series. It seems like they only beat division rivals.

steelerfan
08-08-2014, 04:22 PM
2014 Houston Astros Statistics

829
830
831
832
833

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steelerfan
08-08-2014, 04:24 PM
834
835
836
837
838

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steelerfan
08-08-2014, 04:25 PM
839
840
841
842
843

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steelerfan
08-08-2014, 04:26 PM
844
845
846

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steelerfan
08-08-2014, 04:31 PM
847
848
849
850
851

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steelerfan
08-08-2014, 04:33 PM
852
853
854
855
856

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steelerfan
08-08-2014, 04:39 PM
I have more pitchers to add, but it's not letting me. I'll try again later.

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steelerfan
08-08-2014, 05:14 PM
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/09/eda4apu3.jpg
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http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/09/myhusama.jpg


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steelerfan
08-08-2014, 05:17 PM
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/09/asenu9ed.jpg
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steelerfan
08-08-2014, 05:18 PM
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/09/y5apyma9.jpg
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http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/09/6u2ety6y.jpg

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steelerfan
08-08-2014, 05:45 PM
I'm pretty much ready for the off season.

A few things that I haven't mentioned:

World Series MVP: Yasiel Puig (LAD) .480, 2 HR, 8 RBI

AL MVP: Miguel Cabrera (DET) .372, 58 HR, 136 RBI (won Triple Crown)

NL MVP: Adrian Gonzalez (LAD) .287, 37 HR, 122 RBI

AL Cy Young: Aaron Brooks (KC) 15-7, 2.73, 123 K

NL Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw (LAD) 19-5, 2.56, 211 K

AL Batting Champ: Miguel Cabrera (DET) .372

NL Batting Champ: Buster Posey (SF) .325

Delivery Man of the Year: Neftali Feliz (TEX) 53 SV, 3.93, 55 K

AL ROY: George Springer (HOU) .258, 31 HR, 74 RBI

NL ROY: Alex Guerrero (LAD) .250, 23 HR, 88 RBI

AL Hank Aaron Award: Miguel Cabrera (DET)

NL Hank Aaron Award: Bryce Harper (WSH) .299, 27 HR, 93 RBI

AL Postseason MVP: Edwin Encarnacion (TOR) .368, 4 HR, 10 RBI

NL Postseason MVP: Hanley Ramirez (LAD) .318, 5 HR, 14 RBI

AA Texas League Champions: Springfield Cardinals

AA Eastern League Champions: New Britain Rock Cats

AA Southern League Champions: Jackson Generals

AAA Pacific Coast League Champions: Memphis Redbirds

AAA International League Champions: Buffalo Bisons

AAA Champions: Buffalo Bisons

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steelerfan
08-08-2014, 05:48 PM
Jaymo, how early are you available tonight to do a party chat during the offseason broadcast?

Obviously, I'm anxious to get going. Message me on PSN (messages go to my phone) with your availability. If anyone else is interested, do the same.

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steelerfan
08-08-2014, 06:52 PM
Jaymo, how early are you available tonight to do a party chat during the offseason broadcast?

Obviously, I'm anxious to get going. Message me on PSN (messages go to my phone) with your availability. If anyone else is interested, do the same.

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The plan is to go at 11:00 Central, give or take on availability. Jaymo and I will have a Party Chat going on PSN to discuss the offseason as it happens. I will also broadcast the offseason on Twitch.

Feel free to message me on PSN, if you'd like to participate.

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SmoothPancakes
08-08-2014, 08:15 PM
I'd love to be there, but unfortunately have to be up st 2:30 EST for work, so I'll have to head to sleep in a little bit and won't be able to hang around for the stream.

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steelerfan
08-08-2014, 10:42 PM
I'd love to be there, but unfortunately have to be up st 2:30 EST for work, so I'll have to head to sleep in a little bit and won't be able to hang around for the stream.

Sent from my Droid Maxx using Tapatalk because I'm a lazy ass
If you care to give it a quick look you should be able to find it archived in my Twitch account.

I did a sim of a season tonight to get a practice run through the offseason since its been a few years for me. Damn, I hope I don't screw anything up. :(

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SmoothPancakes
08-08-2014, 10:45 PM
If you care to give it a quick look you should be able to find it archived in my Twitch account.

I did a sim of a season tonight to get a practice run through the offseason since its been a few years for me. Damn, I hope I don't screw anything up. :(

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Haha, it ought to be real interesting when I eventually get to that point iny Rockies franchise then.

And I'll definitely do that! Maybe if I get a chance at work or else sometime tomorrow evening, I'll check out the archive.

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steelerfan
08-09-2014, 05:16 AM
The offseason is over.

The only really notable retirement was a devastating one for the Giants as Tim Lincecum retired due to injury at age 30 (torn rotator cuff).

The Astros let Jerome Williams walk, eventually signing with Tampa and lost Tony Kemp to the Yankees through waivers. Houston did not re-sign Carlos Corporan and he remains a Free Agent as Spring Training begins.

Among the Astros key additions, reliever Jason Motte (80 OVR, 32 years old) signed a 4-year deal worth $14.53M. The Astros also signed reliever Scott Atchison (73, 38) to a one year deal worth $1.31M.

My plan, at this point, is to play the 2015 Spring Training schedule (while waiting for NHL and FIFA) and then to stop and wait for MLB 15 before continuing this Franchise.

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SmoothPancakes
08-09-2014, 05:38 AM
Yeah, that's one thing I'm liking with MLB The Show, I'm in no rush whatsoever to advance my Rockies franchise. I can focus on RTTS for the moment and fit in a Rockies game now and then, since I can just transfer the franchise to MLB 15 and continue it there.

steelerfan
08-09-2014, 07:06 AM
I forgot to mention the I won my only arbitration hearing which was with Dexter Fowler. The arbitrator, apparently, agreed with me that Fowler did not deserve a raise from $2.85M to $7.7M after appearing in just 4 games in 2014 before tearing an MCL. Instead, the arbitrator decided that the $3.08M that I offered was fair.

That said, I played the first Spring Training game of 2015 and Fowler was the star. His 2-run homer in the 5th inning was the difference in a 2-1 win over Atlanta.

I played like 17 position players and 7 pitchers so there weren't really any other significant stats, although Altuve went 2 for 4 with a double.

HOU 2-9-0
ATL 1-7-0

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SmoothPancakes
08-09-2014, 08:44 AM
Lol! $7.7M, up from $2.85M, after playing only four games in 2014. Was video game Dexter Fowler smoking crack?

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jaymo76
08-09-2014, 11:56 AM
Lol! $7.7M, up from $2.85M, after playing only four games in 2014. Was video game Dexter Fowler smoking crack?

Sent from my Droid Maxx using Tapatalk because I'm a lazy ass

You missed a good strea/party chat last night. I learned a lot about the game and the off season. Still cannot believe Fowler, who had 15 at bats demmanded 7.7 million! :fp: Steeler also was trying to upgrade at 3rd but those darn Yankees put an end to that.

SmoothPancakes
08-09-2014, 05:36 PM
You missed a good strea/party chat last night. I learned a lot about the game and the off season. Still cannot believe Fowler, who had 15 at bats demmanded 7.7 million! :fp: Steeler also was trying to upgrade at 3rd but those darn Yankees put an end to that.

Yeah, I really wish I could have been there. :( I would have been on there with you guys if I didn't have to be up at 2:30am and out the door for work this morning.

steelerfan
08-09-2014, 07:52 PM
It was definitely a good chat last night, as always, jaymo.

The Astros fell to 1-1 in Grapefruit League play this Spring losing to Detroit 6-0 on Sunday afternoon.

The only significant stat coming out of the game was Houston starter Brett Oberholtzer allowing 4 earned runs on 6 hits in just 1.1 innings of work.

The Astros will host the Atlanta Braves on Monday at 1:05 PM with Scott Feldman and Brandon Beachy slated to start on the mound.

HOU 0-3-1
DET 6-16-0

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steelerfan
08-09-2014, 09:16 PM
The Houston offense continued to be an issue on Monday afternoon during Grapefruit League play as the Astros fell to 1-2 this Spring with a 2-1 loss to Atlanta. The Astros have managed just 3 runs in their first three outings thus far, with 2 of those coming on a Dexter Fowler long ball in the opener.

Houston will visit the Miami Marlins (1-2) Tuesday at 1:05 PM with Alex White and Nathan Eovaldi scheduled to pitch.

ATL 2-9-0
HOU 1-7-0

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steelerfan
08-09-2014, 10:43 PM
The Astros offensive woes continued on Tuesday afternoon as Houston lost to Miami, 4-1.

With the loss, Houston falls to 1-3 this Spring and, as a team, the Astros are hitting a meager .197.

Last year's AL Rookie of the Year, George Springer is at the top of the last for Houston's struggles. Springer is 0 for 13 in the Grapefruit League with 5 strikeouts and an OBP of .071. His lone trip to the bases didn't come from a walk either - he was hit by a pitch.

Dexter Fowler got off to a nice start with a 2-run home run in the opener but is hitless since to go 1 for 10 this Spring.

Not including pitchers, 7 Astros have combined to go 0 for 36.

On a bright note, Houston's pitching staff has recorded a team ERA of 2.91 and the Astros have a fielding percentage of .993.

HOU 1-6-0
MIA 4-8-0

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steelerfan
08-09-2014, 10:45 PM
The Astros will visit the New York Mets (0-3) on Wednesday with the first pitch scheduled for 1:05 PM. Asher Wojciechski and Dillon Gee are due to start.

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steelerfan
08-10-2014, 07:16 PM
Houston got a little offense on Wednesday as Jon Singleton smacked a pinch hit grand slam in the 5th inning to power the Astros to a 5-0 win over the Mets.

George Springer finally got his first hit of the Spring, going 1 for 4, but is still sitting on a miserable .058 average.

Last season's September star, Asher Wojciechski struck out 5, walked 1 and surrendered two infield hits in 3 innings as he appears to be making a push to open the season in Houston.

The Astros (2-3) will host Detroit (5-1) on Thursday at 1:05 PM with Jarred Cosart (0-0, 3.00) and Max Scherzer (0-1, 1.80) scheduled to start.

HOU 5-7-1
NYM 0-3-0

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jaymo76
08-10-2014, 08:35 PM
Springer hitting .58? Is that a typo? Do you mean .158? Wow! The guy had 31 homers for you last year. What is going on there. Is he partially injured or is it just the limited number of at bats?

steelerfan
08-10-2014, 11:04 PM
Springer hitting .58? Is that a typo? Do you mean .158? Wow! The guy had 31 homers for you last year. What is going on there. Is he partially injured or is it just the limited number of at bats?
.058

.58 would be .580 ;)

Its just 5 games. However, he did slump down the stretch last season.

He'll get it together, he's too talented not to.

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steelerfan
08-11-2014, 12:37 AM
Houston got back to .500 in Grapefruit League play on Thursday with a 4-3 win over the Detroit Tigers.

The Astros bats finally got going this Spring as Manager Bo Porter's club tallied 13 base knocks.

The biggest blow came from 22-year-old DH Stanley Knott who was selected by Houston in the 4th round of last year's First Year Player Draft. Knott, a butcher in the field, is trying to make the club, primarily, as a designated hitter. The youngster went 2 for 5 with a double and a home run.

On Friday, the Astros (3-3) will host the New York Mets (0-5) whom they beat 5-0 on Wednesday. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 PM with Brett Oberholtzer (0-1, 27.00) and Matt Harvey (0-1, 4.50) due to start.

DET 3-8-1
HOU 4-13-0

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steelerfan
08-11-2014, 10:26 PM
The Houston bats went cold again on Friday as the Astros lost to the previously-winless Mets, 4-0.

The lone bright spot for Houston was the performance of starter Brett Oberholtzer. After a rough outing his first time out, Oberholtzer allowed just 1 hit and struck out 5 in 3 innings on the hill.

At 1:05 PM on Saturday, the Astros (3-4) will visit the unbeaten Washington Nationals (7-0). Scott Feldman (0-1, 3.00) and Gio Gonzalez (1-0, 0.00) are the scheduled starters.

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steelerfan
08-12-2014, 03:17 AM
The Astros became Washington's 8th straight victim in the Grapefruit League on Saturday, losing to the Nationals 4-1.

Reliever Vincent Velasquez was sharp out of the Houston bullpen, if you're looking for a silver lining. Velasquez pitched 2 perfect innings and struck out the first 5 he faced.

The Astros (3-5) will look to regroup on Sunday as they have a 1:05 PM home date with the New York Yankees (3-5). Alex White (0-1, 6.00) will face Ivan Nova (0-0, 3.00).

HOU 1-5-0
WSH 4-6-2

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steelerfan
08-12-2014, 10:00 PM
Houston fell to 3-6 in Grapefruit League play this Spring, loading to the Yankees 4-1 on Sunday.

It was the same story despite a different lineup for Houston skipper Bo Porter. Porter deployed a lineup consisting of mostly bench players and minor leaguers and his club picked up just 3 hits.

The Astros (3-6) will host Toronto (8-3) at 1:05 PM on Monday with the scheduled pitchers being Asher Wojciechski (0-0, 0.00) and Shelby Miller (0-0, 0.63).

NYY 4-6-0
HOU 1-3-1

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steelerfan
08-13-2014, 10:19 PM
Houston improved to 4-6 this Spring with a 4-1 won over the defending AL Champions on Monday.

Jon Singleton drove in 3 runs for the Astros, including 2 on a 4th inning long ball to right, his second of the Spring. However, the real story was George Springer who went 3 for 4 after having just 1 hit coming in. Springer saw his average rise from .038 to .133.

The Astros will visit the Nationals (9-1) on Wednesday and skipper Bo Porter says that he will allow his starting pitchers to throw as many as 5 innings in their next outing, after limiting them to 3 thus far.

Jarred Cosart (0-0, 6.00) and Stephen Strasburg (2-0, 1.13) are scheduled to pitch. First pitch is at 1:05 PM.

TOR 1-5-1
HOU 4-9-1

steelerfan
08-16-2014, 06:46 AM
The Astros won a second consecutive game on Tuesday and, in doing so, handed the Nationals just their second loss of the Spring.

Houston starting pitcher Jarred Cosart struck out 7, walked 1 and scattered 4 hits over 5 innings on the hill, to earn the victory.

After taking Wednesday off, the Astros (5-6) will host Washington (9-3) at 1:05 PM on Thursday. The scheduled starters are Brett Oberholtzer (0-1, 8.31) and Gio Gonzalez (1-0, 0.00).

HOU 4-11-1
WSH 1-10-0

jaymo76
08-16-2014, 02:28 PM
Haven't seen you on as of late. Any surprises that may make the team that you didn't think so before spring training began? Conversely, any disappointments?

steelerfan
08-16-2014, 03:22 PM
Haven't seen you on as of late. Any surprises that may make the team that you didn't think so before spring training began? Conversely, any disappointments?
Soon, I will be at the midpoint of Spring Training. I'll post some stats when I get there. Its hard to say with only 11 games played, particularly with all of the pitchers. Ratings, undoubtedly, will rule the day when it comes to picking the team.

I may not do that until MLB15, we'll see.

steelerfan
08-16-2014, 06:06 PM
The Astros played their worst game to date this Spring, loading on Thursday to the Nationals 10-0. Just 2 hits from the offense, while the pitching staff allowed 8 hits, 9 walks and 3 long balls, including a grand slam from Bryce Harper.

The good news is that starting pitcher Brett Oberholtzer pitched well after struggling early this Spring. The lefty surrendered just one run on two hits with 2 walks and 5 Ks in 5 innings of work.

The Astros (5-7) will look to rebound on Friday when they visit the defending AL Champion Toronto Blue Jays (9-5) at 1:05 PM. Scott Feldman (0-1, 3.00) and Brandon Morrow (0-0, 1.13) are set to start on the mound.

WSH 10-8-3
HOU 0-2-1

steelerfan
08-17-2014, 12:52 AM
Houston dropped to 5-8 this Spring with a 5-3 loss to Toronto on Friday afternoon in Grapefruit League play.

Scott Feldman struggled, lasting just 2.0+ innings and allowing 4 runs on 4 hits with a pair of walks as the Astros starter on the mound.

On a bright note, DH Stanley Knott hit a 3-run homer in the 4th inning, his second of the Spring.

The Astros (5-8) host the St. Louis Cardinals (7-6) at 1:05 PM on Saturday with Alex White (0-2, 9.00) slated to face Marco Gonzales (2-0, 2.25).

HOU 3-7-0
TOR 5-8-1

steelerfan
08-17-2014, 10:19 PM
Houston lost for the third straight time on Saturday, falling to the Cardinals 4-3.

Alex Presley stayed in Center Field for Houston and went 2 for 3 with a pair of RBIs, raising his Spring average to .454.

Alex White didn't fare as well. The Astros starter went 5 innings, allowing 3 earned runs on 6 hits while striking out 5 and walking 3. White fell to 0-3 in Grapefruit League play this year and he has an ERA of 7.36 - not exactly what Bo Porter is looking for from his number 4 starter come April.

The Astros (5-9) will visit the Detroit Tigers (9-7) on Sunday at 1:05 PM. Asher Wojciechski (1-0, 0.00) will go for Houston against Detroit's Max Scherzer (1-1, 1.93) in what should be a great pitching match up.

STL 4-8-0
HOU 3-6-0

steelerfan
08-19-2014, 04:07 AM
We expected a pitching duel on Sunday and we got just that as the Astros downed the Tigers, 1-0 in Grapefruit League play.

Asher Wojciechski pitched 5 scoreless innings allowing just one hit (first inning double by Miguel Cabrera) while walking one and striking out 3. Wojciechski has not allowed a run this Spring, in 11.0 innings on the hill.

The Astros (6-9) will host Washington (11-5) at 1:05 PM on Monday. Jarred Cosart (1-0, 3.27) will face off with the Nationals' Jordan Zimmerman (2-1, 4.91). Houston Manager Bo Porter said, on Sunday, that his starters will be limited to 3 innings again with some exceptions for players who have gotten off to slow starts this Spring.

HOU 1-4-0
WSH 0-1-1

steelerfan
08-19-2014, 07:24 AM
15 games are in the books this Spring for the 2015 Houston Astros and thus far the club has had a disappointing start. After improving by 32 games from their 51-win season in 2013, Manager Bo Porter's team has an increased level of expectations this year. The Astros met Porter's goal for 2014 by being the most improved club in the Majors; this year, however, Porter expects his squad to push for a playoff spot. After all, with a glut of youthful prospects gaining valuable experience last season, Houston went 83-79. 90 wins is not an unreasonable goal in 2015.

So far this Spring, Houston is hitting just .199 and they have a 6-9 record to show for it. On the bright side, the pitching staff has a combined ERA of 2.95 with a pair of shutouts, 18 Holds, 5 Saves and 0 Blown Saves. In 131.0 innings, Astros pitchers have allowed just 8 home runs and 51 walks, while punching out 109 batters. The club WHIP is a stellar 1.25 - pitching is not the problem this Spring.

Aside from the embarrassing .199 batting average, Houston has just 22 extra base hits in 15 games. Only 5 of those are long balls and they've produced just 29 RBI. Porter's hitters have drawn just 30 walks and have struck out 106 times. The team OBP is a paltry .248 and the OPS sits at .515. Not good enough.

Defensively, Houston has been steady. The Astros have a team Fielding Percentage of .985, up slightly from a season ago.

Let's take a look at Houston's 40-man roster and how the 25-man Opening Day roster is shaping up.


Catchers: Jason Castro (82 OVR), Charlie Barbour (71), Carlos Perez (67)

Jason Castro is a given to be the #1 Catcher again in Houston, despite struggling at the plate this Spring (31 AB, .161, 0 HR, 0 RBI). The question is, who will be #2? 21-year-old Charlie Barbour signed a 2-year deal with the club in the offseason and was considered the clear favorite to backup Castro. Barbour hasn't won the job yet - he has just 1 hit in 20 at bats. In 11 AB, Carlos Perez has hit .273 with an RBI. Being that Perez, 24, is the better defensive option, you have to put him as the front runner thus far. Barbour needs to turn things around at the plate, and quickly, or his desirable position flexibility (plays 1B and 3B) will be lost.

First Basemen: Chris Carter (80), Jon Singleton (70), Jesus Guzman (69)

Carter and Singleton will make the club. Expect Carter to be the everyday Left Fielder and for Singleton to see most of the action at first. Each one has been productive at the plate this Spring - Carter has hit .313 with an RBI and Singleton has hit .267 with 2 long balls and 8 RBI. The question here will be Jesus Guzman. Guzman offers the flexibility of playing both corner infield and corner outfield positions but he will have to win a job in Houston at the plate. To date he is failing, with just 2 hits in 20 at bats and 1 run batted in. We suspect Guzman will end up in Oklahoma City to start 2015.

Second Basemen: Jose Altuve (84), Ronald Torreyes (73)

Altuve will be the everyday man at second again this year and has had a solid Spring. The 24-year-old is hitting .300 with 2 RBI. Torreyes, 22, is in a battle to be a utility middle infielder and needs to improve on his .083 batting average to secure a spot in the Bigs in 2015.

Third Basemen: Matt Dominguez (77), Stanley Knott (72)

The Astros made a serious run at former Giants hot corner man Pablo Sandoval in the offseason before the Yankees opened the purse and locked him up for nearly 10 million a year. Now, Porter is left with no real option at third other than staying with Dominguez who was awful in the field in 2014. Matt has hit just .167 this Spring but has made improvements in the field with a .957 F%. Stanley Knott is an intriguing prospect. Knott, 22, was taken in the 4th round of last year's First Year Player Draft in June. He can play all 4 positions around the infield but he's terrible at all of them. He has 2 errors in 3 defensive chances this Spring and can only make the club as a DH. He's made a strong case for himself there, hitting .216 with 4 doubles, 2 homers and 5 RBI in 37 AB this Spring.

Shortstops: Carlos Correa (77), Adeiny Hechavarria (72), Marwin Gonzalez (70)

I suspect that only 2 of these 3 make Houston's Opening Day roster. Correa, 20, will be one of them. He's hitting .231 with a pair of RBI and his been great in the field. Hechavarria or Gonzalez? Adeiny can play second and third (that will be important to keep Knott off of the field if Guzman doesn't make the club) but he is 0 for 12 at the plate and was terrible after coming over from Miami in the Jonathan Villar deal last July. Gonzalez hasn't been much better. He's only 1 for 12 and he doesn't play third.

Outfielders: George Springer (84), Dexter Fowler (82), Alex Presley (71), Robbie Grossman (69), Domingo Santana (69)

With Chris Carter expected to eat up most of the innings in left, the presumption is that Porter will keep just 4 of these 5. Springer and Fowler are shoe-ins. Presley plays all 3 positions and is hitting .455 so pencil him in too. Grossman can play all 3 spots and he's a switch hitter, but he's hitting just .087. Santana is just a corner outfielder but he's hitting .200 and he hit more homers (5) than Grossman (4) last season, despite having just 55 ABs to Robbie's 420.

Starting Pitchers: Jarred Cosart (85), Brett Oberholtzer (79), Scott Feldman (77), Alex White (76), Asher Wojciechski (75), Mike Foltynewicz (74), Brad Peacock (74), Mark Appel (73), Paul Clemens (72), Luis Cruz (72), Lucas Harrell (70), Dallas Keuchel (68), Vincent Velasquez (66)

I expect that 7 or 8 of these guys make it to Houston, with 2 or 3 providing long and middle relief. Cosart will be the staff ace, he'll take the ball on Opening Day. Oberholtzer will be in the rotation because he's a lefty, despite his struggles. Feldman is the likely #3 and has earned a bit of a pass this Spring with his performance last year (10-7, 3.78). Alex White's spot in the rotation is in jeopardy this Spring (0-3, 7.36 after 4-8, 3.89 in 2014) but I suspect he makes the club as a reliever if he loses his starting job. Woj will be in the rotation from the start this year. After a brilliant September (3-0, 0.89), he's picked up where he left off this Spring (2-0, 0.00).

Of the rest, Peacock and Cruz (lefty) are the favorites to stick in Houston. If Porter keeps 8 of them, Velasquez (1-0, 0.00 in 7.2 IP) could be a darkhorse to get the job.

Relief Pitchers: Jason Motte (80), Scott Atchison (73), Josh Fields (72), Matt Albers (70), Jason Stoffel (70), Anthony Bass (69), Darin Downs (69)

3 or 4 will make the club. Motte is the only lock, despite a poor showing thus far (0-1, 8.10). Downs should make the club because he's the only lefty of the bunch and he's been good this Spring (1.59 in 5.2 IP). Bass and Stoffel have been the best of the rest in Spring Training.

Closing Pitchers: Jesse Crain (82), Chad Qualls (71)

Crain gets the job. He had 47 Saves last year even though he missed the first month of the season and he is 5/5 this Spring. Qualls hasn't allowed a run in 6.0 IP this Spring so he could stick as a setup man. However, I believe Porter would rather get younger and hasn't forgotten Qualls' 2014 campaign (5-5, 4 SV, 5.43).

steelerfan
08-19-2014, 07:40 AM
Astros Projected Roster for Opening Day 2015

Starters
C Jason Castro
1B Jon Singleton
2B Jose Altuve
3B Matt Dominguez
SS Carlos Correa
LF Chris Carter
CF George Springer
RF Dexter Fowler
DH Stanley Knott

Bench
C Carlos Perez
UT Adeiny Hechavarria
OF Alex Presley
OF Domingo Santana

Rotation
RHP Jarred Cosart
LHP Brett Oberholtzer
RHP Asher Wojciechski
RHP Scott Feldman
RHP Brad Peacock

Bullpen
LR RHP Alex White
LR RHP Paul Clemens
MR LHP Luis Cruz
MR RHP Anthony Bass
SU RHP Jason Motte
SU LHP Darin Downs
CP RHP Jesse Crain

jaymo76
08-19-2014, 01:26 PM
Tough spring thus far. If your team has a weak start to the season will you consider pulling the plug on your skip?

steelerfan
08-19-2014, 02:44 PM
Tough spring thus far. If your team has a weak start to the season will you consider pulling the plug on your skip?
I would consider it, yes.

Honestly though, I don't plan to advance to the 2015 regular season until MLB15. With NHL and FIFA on the horizon I know I wouldn't get far into the season.

My hope is that they fix the scheduling issues on MLB15 and that I can avoid them by not leaving Spring Training until 15 is released.

If you're unaware, as it is in year 2 (and probably beyond) Thursday becomes the "normal" off day instead of Monday. Maybe, if I leave my Franchise in Spring Training any fixes will be applied since I wouldn't advance to the schedule until I had MLB15.

JBHuskers
08-19-2014, 03:37 PM
I'm surprised Singleton isn't rated any higher.

jaymo76
08-19-2014, 03:45 PM
I'm surprised Singleton isn't rated any higher.

I can only speak to my Blue jays franchise but I am surprised that SP Brad Peacock is only a 74ovr. The guy is a beast in my chise. He held me hitless for 8 innings. Best pitcher I have faced thus far!

JBHuskers
08-19-2014, 03:49 PM
AL Cy Young: Aaron Brooks (KC) 15-7, 2.73, 123 K



Who? :D

I play in six fantasy baseball leagues and don't know who that guy is.

steelerfan
08-19-2014, 04:47 PM
Just realized that I had Peacock starting and listed as a long reliever in my roster projections. It was a mistake, Alex White should have been in that long reliever spot. It's been fixed.

JBHuskers
08-19-2014, 04:57 PM
Did you not really chase after any big time free agents and continue the rebuild?

jaymo76
08-19-2014, 05:51 PM
Did you not really chase after any big time free agents and continue the rebuild?

I watched the livestream and had a party chat with steeler in his offseason. He tried for a few guys but the asking prices were too high. He made a big effort for 3rd base but it wasn't in the cards. Houston will have to make a run based on depth of the organization.

P.S. Party chat/livestream is a fun way to do an offseason...

steelerfan
08-19-2014, 08:50 PM
Did you not really chase after any big time free agents and continue the rebuild?
I signed a few, Jason Motte being the prize. I didn't have a ton of money by time I re-signed those I wanted and I had to set aside 7+ million till February in case I lost arbitration with Dexter Fowler (I didn't).

The other FAs on my 40-man are Jason Stoffel and Scott Atchison. Most of my signings were just to fill out my 90-man as my budget is just $70.15M (up 10% from 2014) and that includes all staff and scouts (I have over $11M invested in scouting and $6.51M of budget room available).

My projected budget for 2016 is $63.13M at the moment so the pressure will be on to perform to get it higher.

The only players on my 40-man who have contacts that expire after the 2015 season are Scott Atchison, Josh Fields, Chad Qualls and Dexter Fowler. Of those, only Fowler is someone I'd make any real effort to keep so I should be in good shape.

Most importantly, I've locked up much of my young talent.

Player, OVR and Potential, Age, Years Remaining/Salary:

Jarred Cosart, 85B, 24, 3/960K
Asher Wojciechski, 75B, 26, 4/642K
Mike Foltynewicz, 74B, 23, 2/720K
Mark Appel, 73A, 23, 4/1.0M
Luis Cruz, 72B, 24, 3/573K
Vincent Velasquez, 66B, 23, 3/640K
Jason Castro, 82B, 27, 6/3.6M
Carlos Perez, 67B, 24, 3/70K
Chris Carter, 80B, 28, 4/800K
Jon Singleton, 70B, 23, 3/623K
Jose Altuve, 84B, 24, 4/980K
Carlos Correa, 77A, 20, 3/1.3M
George Springer, 84A, 25, 3/1.4M
Domingo Santana, 69B, 22, 3/573K

Young with upside in the minors:

SP Nick Tropeano, 69B, 24, 3/70K
CF Delino De Shields, 68B, 22, 3/73K
RF Andrew Aplin, 66B, 24, 3/70K
3B Rio Ruiz, 66B, 21, 3/73K
LF Austin Dean, 62B, 21, 3/70K
SP Thomas Shirley, 68B, 26, 4/60K
SP Omar Espinoza, 67A, 18, 3/90K
SP Lance McCullers, 67B, 21, 3/73K
SP Josh Hader, 66B, 21, 3/73K
CF Teoscar Hernandez, 59B, 22, 3/66K
LF Vaughn Sambol, 59B, 20, 2/70K
SP Keith Dolan, 49B, 18, 3/76K

I think I'm in good shape. Not many FAs next year, all my best locked up (except Fowler who may be expendable depending on the development in the minors, especially by De Shields), and lots of good prospects (particularly pitching).

steelerfan
08-19-2014, 08:53 PM
I watched the livestream and had a party chat with steeler in his offseason. He tried for a few guys but the asking prices were too high. He made a big effort for 3rd base but it wasn't in the cards. Houston will have to make a run based on depth of the organization.

P.S. Party chat/livestream is a fun way to do an offseason...
That was a lot of fun. Always good to chat with you, buddy.

steelerfan
08-19-2014, 09:05 PM
The Astros lost to the Washington Nationals on Monday, 6-2, to fall to 6-10 this Spring.

Manager Bo Porter limited starter Jarred Cosart to 3 innings in what could be his final start of the Spring. Cosart didn't allow a run, surrendering a hit and a walk with 3 strikeouts.

Matt Albers and Jason Stoffel hurt their bids to make the Opening Day roster as each gave up 3 runs in 1.0 and 0.2 innings, respectively.

Offensively, Alex Presley continued his hot Spring going 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI to raise his average to .466.

Porter deployed a lineup of mostly backups and fringe players and Adeiny Hechavarria finally got into the hit column with a double.

Houston will host Atlanta (7-12) Tuesday at 1:05 PM with Brett Oberholtzer (0-2, 4.82) and Brandon Beachy (2-2, 2.57) scheduled to pitch.

WSH 6-11-0
HOU 2-7-0

steelerfan
08-19-2014, 10:41 PM
Forgot to mention that Luis Cruz was injured in the loss to Washington. Cruz has a pulled muscle in his back and is expected to be out for a few days.

steelerfan
08-19-2014, 11:29 PM
The Astros lost in 10 innings to the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday despite a good outing from Brett Oberholtzer and 11 base hits.

Oberholtzer was allowed to go 5.0 innings due to his slow start this Spring. The lefty responded, allowing 1 run on 3 hits with a walk and 4 Ks. However, despite leaving with a 3-1 lead, Brett fell victim to Houston's first Blown Save in Grapefruit League play this year as Jason Motte allowed Atlanta to even things up in the 6th.

Motte, 32, signed a 4-year, worth $3,632,500 per year in the offseason but his struggles have been a black mark for the Astros staff in Kissimmee. Jason has made 5 appearances and is 0-1 with a 12.27 ERA in just 3.2 innings. He had allowed 3 walks with just one strikeout and has a WHIP of 2.73. Opponents are batting .412 against the righty who figures to fit into a set up role come April.

Manager Bo Porter cautioned against reading too much into Motte's struggles, citing that he hasn't managed the bullpen situationally this Spring, instead opting to get guys work. Porter did, however, admit that Motte's performance needs to improve soon.

Houston did get 4 multi-hit games, on the bright side, as Jose Altuve, Dexter Fowler, Carlos Correa and Matt Dominguez each recorded a pair of base knocks.

The Astros (6-11) will visit the Miami Marlins (9-7) at 1:05 PM on Wednesday. Scott Feldman (0-2, 6.75) is scheduled to face Tanner Roark (2-2, 1.80) despite trade rumors surrounding him.

The Astros are said to be talking to the Pirates about acquiring a left handed starting pitcher in exchange for the 32-year-old righty, per sources. Speculation is brewing that the lefty-in-question could be 27-year-old Jeff Locke.

The Astros have declined to comment.

ATL 4-9-0 F/10
HOU 3-11-0

steelerfan
08-21-2014, 12:04 AM
With rumors swirling that Scott Feldman was on his way out of Houston, the righty gave a solid performance on Wednesday against the Miami Marlins. Feldman scattered 6 hits over 5 innings striking out 3 and walking 3 but he also did not surrender a run and was the winning pitcher in the Astros 6-0 victory. It remains to be seen if that was the swan song for Feldman with Houston.

The Astros, again, went with a lineup that did not include most of the regulars but they got good production from the lineup that Manager Bo Porter sent out. Robbie Grossman, Marwin Gonzalez, Charlie Barbour and Jose Altuve (pinch hit appearance) all recorded doubles as the Astros turned 9 hits into 6 runs.

Houston (7-11) will visit the Washington Nationals (12-6) on Thursday night. Alex White (0-3, 7.36) and Doug Fister (2-1, 1.07) are scheduled to start with the frist pitch slated for 7:05 PM.

HOU 6-9-0
MIA 0-11-0

steelerfan
08-21-2014, 12:41 AM
Late Wednesday night the Astros announced that they had struck a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Houston acquired SP Jeff Locke and RP Bruce Rondon from the Buccos in exchange for SP Scott Feldman and SP Collin McHugh. The announcement follows 36 hours of speculation that Feldman would be on the move for Locke.

Here's a breakdown of the deal:

What the Astros get:

LHP Jeff Locke (76 OVR, C Potential)

Starting pitcher Jeff Locke, 27, is a left hander with just over 2 years of MLB service time. Locke is under contract for 2015 only, at a price tag of $575K. He has a career record of 15-25 and an ERA of 4.88. This Spring he made 7 appearances for the Pirates, pitching 14.0 innings with a 2.57 ERA and no record. In 2014, Locke struggled to a 4-12 record with a 6.44 ERA as the Pirates were among the worst teams in baseball. However, in the Pirates playoff season of 2013 Locke was 10-7, 3.52.

RHP Bruce Rondon (65 OVR, B Potential)

Rondon, 24, has just 103 days of service time in the Majors and is under contract for this season only at $560K. His only time with Pittsburgh was in 2013 when he posted a 1-2 record, a Save and a 3.45 ERA.

What the Pirates get:

RHP Scott Feldman (77 OVR, C Potential)

Feldman is 32 years old and is coming off of a solid season with the Astros (10-7, 3.78) which followed a good 2013 (12-12, 3.86). In over 8 years of service time in Major League Baseball, Feldman is 61-63 with an ERA of 4.49. Scott made 4 starts for Houston this Spring going 1-2 with a 4.15 ERA in 13.0 innings. He is under contract through 2017 at $2.1M per season.

RHP Colin McHugh (63 OVR, D Potential)

McHugh, 27, has 125 days of service time and a career record of 0-8 with an 8.57 ERA. His contract takes him through the 2015 season and his salary id 500K.

What this trade does for the Astros:

The Astros clear almost $1.5M off of the books and free themselves of carrying Feldman's $2.1M salary to the age of 34. Houston also gets younger and acquires a left handed pitcher that should be in the big league rotation on Opening Day. The Astros have been in need of southpaws and they got one that they hope will return to his 2013 form which will be the biggest factor in determining which club got the best of this deal. Feldman isn't getting younger and he was just a stop gap for Houston as they continue to build for the future.

Bruce Rondon gives the Astros a legitimate relief prospect and Collin McHugh had no future with the Astros at the MLB level. He was just a warm body on the farm.

To make room on the 40-man Roster for Rondon, Houston placed SP Dallas Keuchel on outright assignment waivers. If he is not claimed by another club in the next 2 days, Keuchel will be assigned to Oklahoma City. Dallas, 27, has a career record of 9-18 with a 5.15 ERA and was 0-1, 2.57 in 7 innings this Spring.

jaymo76
08-21-2014, 01:18 AM
Nice move. Looks like you got the better end of the deal but it's a toss up. I like that you landed a starting lefty. They're always the wildcards of the lineup. Where do you plan on putting him in the rotation?

steelerfan
08-21-2014, 02:45 AM
Nice move. Looks like you got the better end of the deal but it's a toss up. I like that you landed a starting lefty. They're always the wildcards of the lineup. Where do you plan on putting him in the rotation?
He'll be in the rotation, I won't know where until Spring finishes up but probably 4 or 5 as I'm thinking Cosart, Oberholtzer, Wojciechski will be 1, 2 and 3 respectively.

How good this trade is will come down to which Jeff Locke I got. If it's the 2013 one, I did great. If it's the 2014 one, I made a mistake.

steelerfan
08-21-2014, 02:58 AM
Houston's bats stayed hot on Thursday night as the Astros pounded out 15 his in a 3-2 win over the Nationals.

For Astros had multi-hit games with Jose Altuve and Dexter Fowler getting 3 apiece, while Alex Presley and Jon Singleton had 2 each.

Newly-acquired reliever Bruce Rondon allowed a hit and struck one out in the sixth inning, making his Spring debut for Houston.

Presley, who is hitting .434 this Spring, hit his first home run - a solo shot to right in the 2nd inning.

Alex White allowed 2 runs on 5 hits with 4 punch outs and 3 walks in 5 innings to earn his first win in the Grapefruit League this year.

The Astros (8-11) will look for their first 3-game win streak of the Spring when they host the Phillies (6-13) on Friday. Asher Wojciechski (2-0, 0.00) will face Jonathan Pettibone (1-1, 5.25). First pitch is 1:05 PM.

HOU 3-15-0
WSH 2-8-0

steelerfan
08-22-2014, 03:21 PM
The Astros ran their winning streak to a Spring-best 3 games with a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday afternoon.

Asher Wojciechski surrendered a solo home run to Phillies first baseman DJ Peterson in the 2nd inning, the first run he's allowed in Grapefruit League play. Wojciechski was limited to 3 innings of work, giving up the one hit and striking out one.

Multi-hit performances were turned in by Dexter Fowler, George Springer and Carlos Correa who had 2 apiece. Chris Carter finally hit his first home run of the Spring, a 423-foot bomb to left in the 4th.

Manager Bo Porter said that he would move most of his starting rotation to the bullpen for the remainder of Spring Training and that he would be giving some other pitchers a chance to start down the stretch.

Porter also mentioned that LHP Luis Cruz was 100% after being held out of action for several days with a stained muscle in his back.

Houston (9-11) will host Miami (10-8) at 1:05 PM on Saturday. Jeff Locke (0-0, 2.57) who was acquired from Pittsburgh on Wednesday will take the mound for the first time as an Astro and will be opposed by Nathan Eovaldi (2-0, 4.91).

PHI 1-6-1
HOU 4-9-1

steelerfan
08-22-2014, 11:00 PM
Jeff Locke's debut was rough and Houston's 3-game winning streak is over as the Astros lost to Miami 11-2 on Saturday afternoon.

Locke lasted just 4.2 innings, allowing 5 runs on 9 hits with 3 walks. The lefty also struck out 3.

Trailing 10-0 in the bottom of the 6th, Marwin Gonzalez provided the only real highlight for Houston when his hard line to center got past the diving outfielder allowing Gonzalez to score an inside-the-park home run.

On the waiver wire, Dallas Keuchel went unclaimed and had been sent outright to AAA Oklahoma City. The move was made to clear a spot for Bruce Rondon on the 40-man roster after he was acquired with Locke from Pittsburgh on Wednesday.

The Astros (9-12) will host the St. Louis Cardinals (10-10) on Sunday at 1:05 PM. The scheduled starters are Paul Clemens (0-0, 1.80) and Adam Wainwright (2-0, 3.18).

MIA 11-17-1
HOU 2-6-1

steelerfan
08-23-2014, 02:01 AM
Houston got back into the win column on Sunday, beating the Cardinals 5-3.

Paul Clemens, in his first start of the Spring, went 5 innings surrendering 2 runs on 5 hits with 3 walks and 4 Ks for the win. Closer Jesse Crain earned his 8th save in as many tries.

Dexter Fowler and Chris Carter had 2 hits apiece and Carter hit his 2nd homer in 3 days.

The offense was paced by George Springer, however. Springer raised his Spring average to .250 by going 3 for 4 with a double, a triple and 2 RBIs.

The Astros (10-12) will visit the Cardinals (10-11) on Monday with the first pitch scheduled for 1:05 PM. Lucas Harrell (0-1, 0.00) is slated to face Michael Wacha (1-4, 14.14).

STL 3-7-0
HOU 5-11-1

steelerfan
08-23-2014, 04:40 AM
Dexter Fowler's grand slam powered a 5-run Houston 2nd as the Astros won for the fifth time in six games, beating the Cardinals 6-3.

Houston starter Lucas Harrell went 5 innings, surrendering 3 runs (2 earned) on 7 hits with a walk and 5 punch outs to earn his first win. Jesse Crain stayed perfect out of the pen, notching his ninth save this Spring.

Jose Altuve, Jason Castro and Alex Presley each recorded 2 hits to go with Fowler's heroics.

Houston (11-12) will send Bread Peacock (0-0, 0.00) to the hill on Tuesday night to face Brandon Beachy (2-2, 3.00) and the Atlanta Braves (10-14). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM.

HOU 6-11-1
STL 3-7-1

steelerfan
08-23-2014, 08:24 AM
Starting pitcher Brad Peacock did all he could to get his first win of the Spring but the Astros bullpen blew his 3-1 lead and Houston fell to Atlanta 5-3 on Tuesday night.

Aside from an RBI single in the 2nd inning, Peacock limited the Braves to 1 run on 5 hits with 3 walks and 7 Ks in 5 innings of work. However, Josh Fields promptly allowed 4 runs (only 1 earned) in the 6th to doom the 'Stros.

The Astros (11-13) will take Wednesday off before hosting the New York Mets (5-17) at 7:05 PM on Thursday. Alex White (1-3, 6.19) and Bartolo Colon (0-0, 0.82) are the scheduled starters.

HOU 3-6-2
ATL 5-8-0

jaymo76
08-25-2014, 10:38 AM
Couple weeks until FIFA and NHL... are you going to finish spring training and then call it quits as per your original plans or has the lack of GMC in NHL changed your purchasing plans for that game?

steelerfan
08-25-2014, 11:31 AM
Couple weeks until FIFA and NHL... are you going to finish spring training and then call it quits as per your original plans or has the lack of GMC in NHL changed your purchasing plans for that game?

That is still the plan. I will still buy NHL and FIFA on their respective release days.

jaymo76
08-25-2014, 11:48 AM
That is still the plan. I will still buy NHL and FIFA on their respective release days.

It's too bad I got on The Show bandwagon so late. I have loved playing it the past few weeks. Sadly thought with football et al. here I don't see myself playing too much baseball. I may play a few series from now until Spring and then sim to the end of the season before Show 15. I will miss you streams though as they were very entertaining. Look forward to them returning in Spring.

steelerfan
08-25-2014, 01:44 PM
It's too bad I got on The Show bandwagon so late. I have loved playing it the past few weeks. Sadly thought with football et al. here I don't see myself playing too much baseball. I may play a few series from now until Spring and then sim to the end of the season before Show 15. I will miss you streams though as they were very entertaining. Look forward to them returning in Spring.
Thanks, buddy.

I'll be playing BAGM on NHL and Career Mode as a Manager on FIFA and I'll be streaming those. :)

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A

steelerfan
08-25-2014, 06:02 PM
The Astros saw their rally from a 6-0 deficit go to waste on Thursday night as they lost in 10 innings to the Mets, 7-6.

Domingo Santana hit 2 solo home runs to fuel the comeback after starting pitcher Alex White allowed 6 runs in just 3.2 innings.

White has struggled all Spring and Thursday night was no different. He allowed 8 hits and a pair of walks while striking out 3 to run his ERA to 7.77, severely diminishing his bid to be in the club's rotation.

With the final two games of Spring on the horizon (both with Texas), the Astros (11-14) cannot finish Grapefruit League play with a winning record. Saturday, Houston will send Jeff Locke (0-1, 4.34) to the hill to face Yu Darvish (3-0, 1.80). First pitch 7:05 PM.

NYM 7-10-1 F/10
HOU 6-10-1

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A

steelerfan
08-27-2014, 06:38 AM
Houston Manager Bo Porter sent lefty Jeff Locke to the hill for his final tuneup of the Spring on Saturday to face the Texas Rangers.

Locke, who was acquired from Pittsburgh earlier this Spring, struggled again. He allowed 4 runs (all courtesy of a pair of JP Arencibia bombs) on 5 hits while striking out 2. Porter had better hope his new pitcher works out the kinks before the games start to count next week.

Porter also deployed a lineup consisting of mostly bench and fringe players and they failed to produce. Just 3 hits from a group trying to earn a job with their final few at bats. Not very promising.

The Astros (11-15) will close or the Grapefruit League schedule on Sunday at 1:05 PM when they, again, square off with Texas (16-10). Luis Cruz (0-0, 1.42) will be given his first start of the Spring in the finale. Cruz will be opposed by Tanner Scheppers (0-2, 3.60).

TEX 4-6-0
HOU 1-3-1

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A

steelerfan
08-29-2014, 05:20 AM
The 2015 Houston Astros stumbled to an 11-16 record this Spring, ending with 4 consecutive losses and closing Grapefruit League play with a 2-1 loss to Texas on Sunday.

Domingo Santana had 2 of the Astros 3 hits, including a double and a run, to lead a what was another feeble offensive attack and seemingly secure his place on the Opening Day roster.

On the mound, lefty Luis Cruz made the most of his first start by pitching 5 scoreless innings, striking out 4 and allowing just one hit (an infield single that caromed off of the first base bag).

HOU 1-3-0
TEX 2-3-0

FINAL SPRING STANDINGS

CACTUS LEAGUE
Padres 18-9
Rangers 17-10
Brewers 17-10
Diamondbacks 15-8
Reds 16-11
Cubs 15-13
Indians 15-15
Angels 14-14
Giants 13-14
Mariners 13-14
Dodgers 10-12
Royals 12-15
Rockies 11-17
Athletics 10-20
White Sox 7-19

GRAPEFRUIT LEAGUE
Blue Jays 21-8
Nationals 18-9
Marlins 16-11
Orioles 15-10
Red Sox 16-12
Rays 15-12
Tigers 15-14
Braves 14-14
Yankees 13-14
Cardinals 12-14
Pirates 13-16
Astros 11-16
Twins 10-18
Phillies 9-20
Mets 7-19

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A

steelerfan
08-29-2014, 05:52 AM
2015 HOUSTON ASTROS FINAL SPRING TRAINING STATISTICS

POSITION PLAYERS

2B ALTUVE, J. .308, 4 2B, 3B, 3 RBI, .968 F%
OF SPRINGER, G. .237, 2 2B, 3B, 8 RBI, 1.000 F%
OF CARTER, C. .236, 3 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, .977 F%
DH KNOTT, S. .167, 4 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .917 F%
OF FOWLER, D. .250, 2 HR, 7 RBI, .947 F%
C CASTRO, J. .218, 2 2B, 1 RBI, .991 F%
1B SINGLETON, J. .264, 5 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 1.000 F%
SS CORREA, C. .286, 2 2B, 5 RBI, .978 F%
3B DOMINGUEZ, M. .213, 1 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .971 F%
IF TORREYES, R. .106, 1 RBI, .984 F%
OF GROSSMAN, R. .154, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 1.000 F%
IF GONZALEZ, M. .167, 2 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1.000 F%
OF PRESLEY, A. .371, 3 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 1.000 F%
1B GUZMAN, J. .114, 1 RBI, 1.000 F%
C BARBOUR, C. .129, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 1.000 F%
IF HECHAVARRIA, A. .103, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1.000 F%
OF SANTANA, D. .286, 1 2B, 2 HR, 2 RBI, .960 F%
C PEREZ, C. .185, 1 RBI, .984 F%

PITCHERS
LOCKE, J. 23.2 IP, 0-2, 4.94
WHITE, A. 19.2, 1-3, 7.78
OBERHOLTZER, B. 14.1, 0-2, 3.77
COSART, J. 14.0, 1-0, 2.57
WOJCIECHSKI, A. 14.0, 2-0, 0.64
HARRELL, L. 12.2, 1-1, 1.42
CRUZ, L. 11.1, 0-0, 0.79
VELASQUEZ, V. 11.1, 1-1, 0.79
PEACOCK, B. 11.0, 0-0, 0.82
CLEMENS, P. 11.0, 1-0, 3.27
BASS, A. 9.1, 0-0, 0.00
CRAIN, J. 9.0, 0-0, 0.00, 9 SV
FOLTYNEWICZ, M. 9.0, 1-1, 7.00
DOWNS, D. 8.2, 0-0, 1.04
QUALLS, C. 8.2, 0-0, 0.00
ALBERS, M. 8.0, 0-1, 5.63
APPEL, M. 7.1, 1-0, 3.68
FIELDS, J. 7.0, 1-1, 3.86
MOTTE, J. 6.2, 0-1, 13.50
STOFFEL, J. 6.2, 0-0, 4.05
ATCHISON, S. 5.2, 0-0, 1.59
RONDON, B. 4.0, 0-0, 0.00


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A

steelerfan
08-29-2014, 06:02 AM
2015 HOUSTON ASTROS FINAL SPRING TRAINING TEAM STATISTICS

(MLB Rank in parenthesis)

Batting Average .221 (29)
Runs 72 (30)
Doubles 33 (T-28)
Triples 3 (T-17)
Home Runs 13 (29)
RBI 66 (30)
Stolen Bases 5 (27)
Walks 54 (29)
Strikeouts 177 (T-6)
Slugging .308 (30)
OBP .266 (30)

Fielding .984 (27)

ERA 3.28 (7)
Shutouts 3 (T-5)
Saves 9 (T-8)
Blown Saves 3 (T-4)
Home Runs Allowed 17 (2)
Walks Allowed 87 (20)
Strikeouts 194 (16)
Win Percentage .407 (24)

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jaymo76
08-29-2014, 01:49 PM
You made it with two weeks to spare before NHL. Well done buddy!

Bigshooter
11-12-2014, 03:28 PM
Loved this thread, read the whole thing, the stats were great,

I'm currently doing the same thing with the New York Yankees franchise season